ATM Utility

Tue Nov 8 08:23:29 UTC 1994

> From: bmanning at ISI.EDU
> Subject: Re: ATM Utility
> To: tjs at msc.edu (Tim Salo)
> Date: Mon, 31 Oct 1994 21:33:03 +1600 (PST)
> Cc: avg at sprint.net, nanog at merit.edu, nap at hq.si.net
> 	[...]
> > I believe that ATM, even in its perhaps immature state, is useful and
> > cost-effective in a number of applications today.  In particular,
> > the cost of wide-area DS-3 ATM services can be very attractive 
> > when compared to a number of point-to-point DS-3s.
> > -tjs
> 
> The minor point that might have been missed is that there is a tradeoff
> between point-to-point DS-3s (at 44.7Mbps in clear channel) vs ATM DS-3s
> (at 34Mbps w/ ATM framing).  Now if I can get four ATM DS3s for less than
> I can get 3 point-to-point DS3s, then I can get a win. (raw bandwidth
> being about equal... :)

Wide-area DS-3 ATM service can often be cost effective because:

o	The number of DS-3 local loops is often reduced

	[For example, three DS-3s connecting three sites require
	six local loops, while three DS-3 ATM connections require only
	three local loops.]

o	DS-3 ATM pricing seems to typically be distance-insensitive.

-tjs