The future British Telecom core transmission network

The incorporation of optical transmission, integrated electronics and computer technology into the BT digital transmission network has raised customer expectations of improved quality of service at reduced cost, and stimulated the rapid growth of new products and services. International debate over the last few years has resulted in a new set of CCITT standards defining a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) which should open the door for a sophisticated Managed Transmission Network (MTN) in the UK and simplified global interconnection. The paper examines the route from an existing plesiochronous network to a new SDH-based managed network of the future. The goals are highlighted and key decisions that need to be reached on the way are identified. Furthermore, initial work on network structure and topologies is presented and discussed