ATM and the Internet: a perfect match?

The transformation of the Internet from what was once considered to be an academic adventure to a large-scale commercial data network is now complete. The original Internet structure which consisted of a hierarchy of regional networks interconnected by the NSF-funded backbone has now been fully replaced by a more complex interconnection of commercial ISP networks providing a broad range of services to consumers and businesses in addition to research, government and educational institutions supported by the earlier Internet. The invention of the World Wide Web and the rapid proliferation of Web based applications, tools, and services has led to an explosion of traffic growth on the Internet. Recent statistics show a doubling of bandwidth demand on the Internet every 3 to 4 months -an unprecedented phenomenon in the entire global communications industry!