What is a “packet” based access system?
A packet based access system is a system that packetizes all traffic and transmits all information through the system in packet format. Packets contain a header or label with source/destination addresses and other parameters, along with the payload, and are able to be switched on a packet-by-packet basis from system ingress to system egress. Forward-looking packet schemes, such as the one used by Integral Access, also classifies traffic with quality of service parameters so that the network serves higher priority traffic before lower priority traffic. The PurePacket access system operates in the access layer of the network and is optimized for bringing traffic from customer premise to the central office in an efficient manner. The system is fully interoperable with third party equipment using standard protocols over standard interfaces both in the customer premises and in the central office. Packet access systems are bandwidth efficient, and leverage the service-rich features of IP rou
