Frame Relay is an older technology and relies on the underlying assumption by carriers that not all customers will be using the full bandwidth of their circuits at the same time. Frame Relay uses an oversubscription model. Carriers will sell you a CIR on their Frame Relay Network. This rate is the bandwidth you are GUARANTEED by the carrier. For example, if you purchase a 256 Kbps CIR from a carrier, all traffic up to that point will be guaranteed to be delivered. You may burst above your purchased CIR, but in times of heavy network congestion, any packets you send above the CIR will be eligible for discard by the carrier.
Frame Relay
