Isochronous Ethernet uses a separate 6.144 Mbps channel between each user and the hub. Simply install a new Network Interface Card and replace or upgrade a hub and you are ready for video conferencing. No rewiring is necessary and the resulting network can still handle traditional packetized data. Most observers feel that Isochronous Ethernet will probably serve as transition technology until standardized issues for the more expensive ATM technology is settled. Others are forecasting that most system managers will turn to switched Ethernet with ATM on the backbone.
Multimedia demands isochronous transmissions.
This means that data must move at fixed intervals with little or no delay. At speeds ranging from 155 Mbps to over 2 Gbps, ATM can provide the necessary speed to handle video conferencing and still have plenty of bandwidth left over for other operations. ATM will provide the same services that Isochronous Ethernet does but at a significantly higher bandwidth. The problem of inter operability must be overcome before the technology is readily accepted. Many experts question if ATM will support wide area access to data, audio, voice and video because of the slow deployment of the technology.