ATM is a communications standard that allows data, voice, and video information to travel in a mixed stream through the same network hardware at a very high rate of speed. ESnet is using permanent virtual circuits for its wide-area connectivity.
Efforts are underway to test a switched virtual circuit capability between a few sites.
Switched virtual circuits and private network-network interface signaling would allow an enhanced network with reduced network management. This working relationship with industry will help enhance U.S. competitiveness in emerging high-speed data communications technology. Other U.S. vendors will also be helped by the increased marketplace acceptability of the technology. An additional project was carried out over the past few years that focused on investigating various aspects of supporting Asynchronous Transfer Mode in Local Area Networks. The LATM pilot project provided ESnet with a firm stepping stone that lead to the currrent integration of ATM technology into local-area networks and direct access between LANs and WANs through ATM lines.