This
paper explains that Integrated
Services Digital
Network (ISDN) differs from the traditional form of telecommunications, namely the phone line, in that it is the reverse of standard telephone service provisioning. The author stresses that the ISDN should not be viewed as a task of communications but rather as a
business solution; having verified that the ISDN
Service provider supports the desired features, the network designer must select the ISDN equipment and services, which support the company's business requirements. The paper relates that ISDN faces competition with such services as DSL and cable modems, which have been able to provide 10 to 20 times the bandwidth for a cheaper
price; however, the one area that other services cannot beat is the
voice services.