Higher speed router connectivity to the WAN becoming more common-something to do with the growth of the Internet. Higher speed routers are beginning to offer WAN interfaces at E3 and DS3. Being of US manufacture these interfaces tend to be of the ATM variety.
Metrodata recognising that an ATM connection on a point-to-point basis would incur a wasted overhead of some 4Mbit/s, which is a high percentage of wasted bandwidth when the management and QoS guarantees of ATM are not needed.
So Metrodata developed the DC3445 HSSI to E3 or DS3 converter to offer low-cost conversion, and avoid the overhead and high cost of the ATM router interface card.
Solution:- buy a router with a standard HSSI interface, use a DC3445 to convert to (non-ATM) 34 or 45 Mbit/s, be able to use the full bandwidth and save money, compared to the cost (e.g..) of the E3 ATM Cisco 3600 WAN Interface!