Superior broadband functionality can be realized by the economical and timely introduction of networks and services, based on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology, into traditional and new markets. In the traditional networks of voice and data, this introduction may best be accomplished by extensions of the embedded investment. Different configurations of the same basic building blocks, however, can be used for new networks that combine voice, data, and video. By providing building blocks for fabric and line units, provisioning, signaling, and call processing—as well as operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&P)—both existing and new networks can evolve economically into an information superhighway having universally deployed multimedia networks.