Abstract: A telecommunications transport network is described in which a plurality of network elements each has a performance monitoring facility operative to report overall error rate at the element in each network path using the element. The network includes one or more management systems operative to calculate performance of a segment of a path between two network elements, from the reported overall error rates at the elements. Monitoring can thus be provided in management software using standard interfaces to gather the reported error rates, without additional ASICs at the network elements. Since not all paths will require TCM the additional processing required by the network management systems need not be great. Not even every connection that crosses a domain boundary will necessarily need TCM although the facility is especially useful for dedicated connections.

Abstract: A telecommunications transport network is described in which a plurality of network elements each has a performance monitoring facility operative to report overall error rate at the element in each network path using the element. The network includes one or more management systems operative to calculate performance of a segment of a path between two network elements, from the reported overall error rates at the elements. Monitoring can thus be provided in management software using standard interfaces to gather the reported error rates, without additional ASICs at the network elements. Since not all paths will require TCM the additional processing required by the network management systems need not be great. Not even every connection that crosses a domain boundary will necessarily need TCM although the facility is especially useful for dedicated connections.

Abstract: Broadband digital signals in a broadband communication network asynchronously operated space-division-multplex switching networks are arranged in the nodes. This asynchronous operating mode of the space-division-multiplex switching networks requires, in constructing the broadband communication network, the use of asynchronous multiplexers with complicated stuffing methods. For the implementation of a synchronous broadband communication network, the regenerated broadband digital signal is applied to an elastic store, entering the data into the elastic store being effected with the regenerated clock and reading with the central network clock. In the absence of a broadband digital signal because of a "not switched-through" switching state or a failing digital line, a switch to a broadband, network synchronous signal or to a substitution path is effected.

Abstract: In future broadband-ISDN, with preferably optical fiber subscriber connecting lines, the subscriber can not only access narrow-band ISDN-services but also broadband-services (for example moving picture services). For the integration of low-rate ISDN-signals and high-rate broadband signals, at the transmitter the narrow-band and the broadband signals are additively superimposed on each other with weighting factors depending on their bit rate ratios, to derive a multi-level amplitude sum signal. At the receiver the narrow-band signal is recovered from the multi-level amplitude sum signal by amplitude envelope demodulation, and the broadband signal is recovered by amplitude limiting of such sum signal.

Abstract: An interactive cable television system for serving a plurality of user locations in a service area divided into a plurality of service regions, including a central office and a service network having a portion composed of parallel cables arranged in a tree pattern possessing a plurality of nodes remote from the user locations and, in the vicinity of the users, a further portion representing the lowermost plane of the network and composed of transmission cables connected to groups of user locations, the transmission cables being connected to each group in a star pattern, the system presenting a plurality of transmission paths and permitting multiple utilization of the paths, the parallel cables of the first mentioned portion of the network being connected in each service region in a tree structure extending from one node toward the user locations and being constituted by two parallel autonomous sets of cables, thus representing medium planes of the network, the network further including, in each service region