Combined voice, fax and data traffic over frame relay became a possibility with the recent launch of the Frame Relay Forum’s FRF.11 standard for interoperability (CI No 3,156), a technological advance that will enable branch offices to use one data pipe for all their communications and at a lower total bandwidth and cost. Newbridge Networks Corp, Ontario, Canada is now modifying its MainStreet Express 36170 Multiservices switch to incorporate spin-off Castleton Network Systems Corp’s voice over frame relay Digital Signal Processing cards, at speeds of 45Mbps. Newbridge is also providing a branch office system with the 256Kbps 3608 MainStreet packet access multiplexer which integrates voice and data traffic. All Newbridge systems are using G.729A/CELP digital voice compression algorithms which are standard with FRF.11, but full interoperability will not be available until the next cycle of products. Newbridge emphasizes that although voice over Frame Relay is a good way of integrating predominantly data signals with voice, high proportions of voice traffic over frame relay is not a practical option as quality of service will suffer, and instead suggest voice over Internet Protocol as a more satisfactory method to integrate communications services. Nuera Communications Inc, San Diego, California is producing AccessPlus F100 chassis mountable modules for voice over frame relay which will be adaptable to FRF.11 by software upgrade. These modules are designed for branch office use and for speeds between 64Kbps and 1.32Mbps. Ascom Timeplex Inc Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and Sync Research Inc, Irvine, California are OEM customers for the devices. Sync will mount these within its Framenode units, and Ascom within its AD-10/FR. Nuera’s modules will also support voice over Internet Protocol, in the same unit.
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