N-GEN Communications Web-based Seminars ©NGCS

Seminar - An Overview of Communications Technologies

Module 1 - An Overview of the Communications Industry                                                              Slide 16 of 26   _________________                                                                                  __________

                                         Core Network Protocols

                                           Frame Relay

                                           ATM

                                           SONET

                                           IP

_________________                                                                                  __________

Frame Relay was extensively used in the core networks until ATM matured. Frame Relay was relegated to an access protocol. SONET is extensively used in the telephone networks. With optical fibre in the high-speed links, ATM rides over SONET. IP is an end to end protocol. It is also used on the high-speed links along with SONET between the Internet network 

Frame Relay was used in the mid 1990s in the core network to consolidate X.25, T-1 and other Synchronous data.

ATM succeeded Frame Relay in the core networks. ATM is capable of transmitting in the Gigabit range and has good traffic quality control.

SONET is used in the telephone core networks. All other protocols can be mapped into SONET.

Internet Protocol is the building block of the Internet, Intranet and Extranet networks. It is an end-to-end (from desk-to-desk) protocol.

                                   
                                               Data Communications Network