LOKALER ATM ZUGANG

PCT No. PCT/GB96/01338 Sec. 371 Date Dec. 5, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Dec. 5, 1997 PCT Filed Jun. 5, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO97/00583 PCT Pub. Date Jan. 3, 1997In a Telecommunications Infrastructure, an Access Network or Segment of an Access-Layer Infrastructure has a plurality of subscribers or extensions linked to one or more gateways having ports and providing access to/from higher network layers. The linking from the subscribers or extensions to the gateways is carried out by the statistical-multiplexing of ATM cells carried in time-slots formatted onto broadband bearers. A desired gateway is identified by a number carried in the Virtual-Path Identifier field of each ATM cell. The source is identified by a number carried in an additional address field external to the ATM cell but internal to the time-slot. The linking from the gateways to the subscribers or extensions is via a distribution switch. The desired subscriber is identified by the number carried in the additional address field and the source is identified by the number carried in the Virtual Path Identifier field of the cell.