Abstract

A system and method of transmitting information between a multiplicity of subscribers as components of traffic in an integrated services network (ISN). The information traffic consists of a multiplicity of media types associated with respective ones of the different subscribers including voice, video and data traffic component types. Each traffic component type has attributes relevant to transmission through the ISN which may differ from such attributes of the other traffic component types, such as delay sensitivity, loss tolerance, activity level, burst size, average packet length, and probability of buffer overflow. A plurality of the traffic component types to be transmitted, limited to those destined for subscribers at the same exit point of the ISN, is assembled from subscribers at an entry point of the ISN into a single composite frame of variable size for transmission along a path through the ISN. A different priority level is assigned to each traffic component type for transmission through the ISN according to the respective attributes of the traffic component types. The transmission of composite frames containing lower priority traffic component types is selectively blocked while allowing transmission of composite frames containing higher priority types during periods of traffic congestion or when control of traffic flow is otherwise required along the path.