DIGITAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK ARCHITECTURE FOR PROVIDING UNIVERSAL INFORMATION SERVICES

: A switched integrated wideband and narrowband multiservices digital network is an ISDN providing universal information services based on wideband and narrowband voice, data, and video communications. It comprises a plurality of service areas, each served by a central switching node. The central node is connected to a plurality of remote nodes by feeder optical fibers and a control bus extension. Network interface equipment at subscribers' premises is connected to remote nodes by distribution optical fibers. Each distribution fiber is wavelength-division multiplexed and carries modulated (pulse-analog, pulse-code, or differential pulse-code) wideband digital channels and a multiplexed channel comprising time-division-multiplexed narrowband digital channels. One narrowband channel carries all signaling messages. Feeder fibers are wavelength-division multiplexed and carry modulated wideband digital channels, and multiplexed channels each comprising a plurality of time-division-multiplexed distribution multiplexed channels. Each remote node comprises a digital space-division switch for wideband channels, and a digital time division multiplexer and demultiplexer for multiplexed channels. Each central node comprises a digital space-division switch for wideband channels, and a digital time-division switch for narrowband channels. All switches are controlled by a central node control complex over a control bus and its extensions. Signaling messages are transferred between the signaling-message-carrying narrowband channels and the central node complex by a subscriber signaling subsystem via the narrowband switch and the control bus. A central node optionally includes interfaces to other communication systems, and trunk communication fiber and CCIS signaling fiber connections to other central nodes of the network.