The main driver obviously is the rapid growth of data traffic coupled with
the current architecture of the current transport network. Ways must be developed to
handle the current data traffic with the existing network infrastructure.
TDM: Circuit Bonding 279
The Need for a New Transport Solution
It has been a very long time since fundamental changes were made to the transport
systems utilized by service providers. The technology of copper-based systems predates
that of fiber-based SONET systems developed in the 1980s. At the heart of these systems
lie multiplexers and switch fabrics optimized for the Time Division Multiplexing
(TDM) networks they were designed to create. What has changed is the mix of services
required by customers as data has become the dominant payload. Superficial modifications
in transport systems have been made, but no fundamental changes have occurred
to reflect the changing needs of data payloads. Recently the introduction of Dense
Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (DWDM) has dramatically lowered the cost of transporting
bandwidth and facilitated the explosive growth in data traffic.
It is clear that a new generation of flexible transport equipment capable of supporting
any type of payload is needed.
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