Dialable services at FDS1 and DS1 rates-the services network of the early 1990s

The authors describe a network-wide, dialable multirate service called wideband switched service. They identify the factors that are expected to fuel the rapid growth in demand for wideband (i.e., DS1 and fractional DS1 (FDS1) rates) services, including standards activities and end user applications. The need for large-scale deployment of a real-time circuit-switched network service at wideband rates up to DS1 is emphasized here. The authors discuss the past limitations of switched networks in connection with providing dialable wideband services, the application drivers for wideband services, and the opportunity for the carriers to provide a standard network service. They also identify the value of the wideband service as a bridge to future broadband services