Local area network to metropolitan area network layouts

     Toward the end of the twentieth century, a new form of network appeared that interconnected businesses within a metropolitan area. Typically, this interconnection uses only fiber-optic links at extremely high speeds. These new networks are labeled metropolitan area networks. A metropolitan area network is a highspeed
network that interconnects multiple sites within a close geographic region, such as a large urban area. For example, businesses that require a high-speed connection to their Internet service providers might use a metropolitan area network for interconnection (see Figure 1-6). As we shall see in more detail in Chapter Nine, metropolitan area networks are a cross between local area networks and wide area networks. They can transfer data at fast LAN speeds but over larger geographic regions than typically associated with a local area network.

Businesses interconnected within a large metropolitan area via a metropolitan area network