MANs
As the name suggests, a MAN occupies a middle ground between LANs and WANs.
Interest in MANs has come about as a result of a recognition that the traditional
point-to-point and switched network techniques used in WANs may be inadequate
for the growing needs of organizations. While ATM promises to meet a wide range
of high-speed needs, there is a requirement now for both private and public networks
that provide high capacity at low costs over a large area. The high-speed
shared-medium approach of the LAN standards provides a number of benefits that
can be realized on a metropolitan scale. As Figure 3.1 indicates, MANs cover greater
distances at higher data rates than LANs, although there is some overlap in geographical
coverage.
The primary market for MANs is the customer that has high-capacity needs
in a metropolitan area. A MAN is intended to provide the required capacity at
lower cost and greater efficiency than obtaining an equivalent service from the
local telephone company.
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