ATM integrates voice, data, video and still images by breaking them into small packets and rapidly sending them over a pathway. A set of wires running between buildings, linking computers in one site with those in another, much as the spinal cord sends messages to various parts of the human body. The basic measuring unit of a digital transmission system's speed, it's the number of information bits you can send between one facility and another in one second.
Cable can be above or below ground.
The telecommunications provider required to supply service when no other companies are willing. In return, the carrier of last resort receives subsidies to help cover excessive costs. A phone company building in which customers' lines in a certain geographical area are joined to switching equipment. Coaxial cable is a high-capacity medium that can transmit dozens of TV channels or several thousand voice conversations. The cable is composed of a conductor, usually a small copper tube of wire that's insulated by a larger conductor, usually copper tubing or braid.