These ADMs act as both a switch and a transport mechanism, but typically the switch has limited capabilities. The design of the network is much more efficient because protection capacity can be shared between routes, regardless of the dis- tance. Efficient network design. This philosophy allows Williams to build a more flexible, lower cost optical network than other carriers by minimizing the amount of capacity that must be reserved for protection. Some customers will even choose to provide their own restoration switching to obtain an even lower price.
Internet service is a great example.
People often don't mind waiting a few seconds for a web page to load on the screen. They're willing to wait another second rather than pay premium rates for their own Internet service. On the other hand, voice traffic will not tolerate delays and needs a higher restoration rate. By using Williams' network, customers can realize cost savings by choosing the levels of restoration service that best suit their applications, rather than having to subscribe to the only level a carrier provides. Early this year Williams also rolled out a service with restoration in less than three seconds, which is geared toward customers who do not have real-time traffic and want to lower the cost of building a nationwide network.