This book investigates the technical and commercial development of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) as a foundational technology for high-speed multimedia networking. Philip Hunter, a technical journalist and analyst, examines the evolution of ATM protocols and their role in the transition from traditional circuit-switched networks to packet-switched broadband infrastructures. The text provides a detailed account of the industry standards, the competing networking architectures of the 1990s, and the strategic decisions made by telecommunications providers to integrate ATM into global data systems.

Experts recognize this work as a detailed historical record of the telecommunications industry during a period of rapid infrastructure change. Readers often note that the prose is highly technical, making it a valuable resource for those interested in the evolution of network engineering standards.