Publisher's Synopsis
Part 1, Optical-fibre Communications, looks at the past development of optical fibre communication and examines ways in which its capacity is now being exploited. High signalling rates combined with dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) allow data to be transmitted at hundreds of gigabit/s over point-to-point links between cities, while the latest standards for Ethernet are for 10 gigabit/s over fibre.Part 2, Multi-service Networks, looks at asynchronous transport mode (ATM), a way of transmitting and switching digital signals which was originally developed as the standard for "broadband ISDN" (broadband integrated services digital network). With the development of the Internet and the convergence of telecommunications and entertainment, the techniques and philosophy developed by ATM to support a range of different types of service have become more important than ever.
