• A cell- based data transfer technique in which channel demand determines packet allocation
• offers fast packet technology, real time, demand led switching for efficient use of network resources
• generic term adopted by ANSI and the ITU-TS to classify cell relay technology within the realm of broadband WANs, specifically B-ISDN
• as part of the B-ISDN standard, is specified for digital transmission speeds from 34Mbit/s to 622Mbit/s
• ATM will be the high band width networking standard of the decade