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196 Chapter 8

Figure 8-9 OC-3 New York
Redundant access AT&T
to the Internet
OC-3

OC-3 Philadelphia

INTERNET
OC-3 OC-3

Ft. Wayne
OC-3 Washington, DC

OC-3
UUNet
Arlington, VA
TEAMFLY

expect and demand higher-speed services to satisfy their access
needs. Figure 8-9 illustrated a means of accessing the Internet with
a dual feed to different suppliers. In this scenario, the user will
demand service levels that are far greater than what was available
from local providers in the past. This feat is possible because of the
various methods of using the fiber to the door and the high-speed
multiplexing of many plesiochronous and synchronous inputs at the
SONET/SDH level. Using our example here, dual access to the Inter-
net is possible and very realistic. In particular, high-speed access is
also needed because at most organizations the actual desktop (LAN)
is working with 100-Mbps Ethernet. We now need to move data
across wider networks unimpeded.
Beyond basic access to the Internet, we face the ever-present issue
of fiber to the door.Yes, this will likely be inevitable. However, for the
time being, access may start at the consumer’s door on copper. Here,
the user may use a special copper feed at whatever rate of speed that

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