Frame Relay
Frame Relay was a packet-switched WAN technology that connected multiple business sites using permanent virtual circuits, or PVCs, at speeds from 56 Kbps up to a full T1 at 1.5 Mbps. For years it was a common, cost-effective way for companies to link branch offices over a shared carrier network. Today Frame Relay is largely retired, superseded by MPLS, Metro Ethernet, and VPN, and this page explains what it was and what now replaces it.
How Frame Relay worked
Frame Relay carried data in variable-length frames across a shared carrier network using permanent virtual circuits, logical paths between sites identified by a DLCI. Each PVC carried a committed information rate, the bandwidth the carrier guaranteed, with bursting allowed when the network had capacity. Because many customers shared the same backbone, Frame Relay connected branch offices more cheaply than dedicated point to point lines of the era.
What Frame Relay cost, and what replaces it
When it fits
✓ Great fit
Frame Relay was a good fit in its day for businesses connecting several branch offices over a wide area at modest speeds, where a fully dedicated circuit to each site was too costly. It suited bursty data traffic and predictable site-to-site links across a carrier's shared network. Almost no organization should deploy Frame Relay today.
● Consider instead
If you are running Frame Relay now or planning new multi-site connectivity, consider modern options instead. MPLS and Metro Ethernet provide managed, higher-bandwidth WAN service, and site-to-site VPN over business internet delivers private connectivity at lower cost. These replace Frame Relay with far more bandwidth and better economics.
How it compares
Metro and business Ethernet replaced Frame Relay with far higher bandwidth and a simpler, native IP connection.
A site-to-site VPN runs private traffic over ordinary business internet, a low-cost successor to Frame Relay PVCs.
Dedicated internet plus VPN or MPLS now does what Frame Relay once did, with vastly more capacity.
What to look for
- ✓It is largely retired. Carriers have phased out Frame Relay; treat it as legacy and plan a migration.
- ✓Map your PVCs. Before migrating, document each PVC, its DLCI, and committed information rate so the new WAN matches.
- ✓MPLS or Ethernet. For managed multi-site WAN, MPLS and Metro Ethernet are the direct modern replacements.
- ✓VPN for low cost. Where budget is tight, site-to-site VPN over business internet can replace Frame Relay links.
Common questions
What is Frame Relay?
Frame Relay is a legacy packet-switched WAN technology that connected business sites using permanent virtual circuits at 56 Kbps up to T1 speeds of 1.5 Mbps.
Is Frame Relay still used?
Rarely. Frame Relay is largely retired, and carriers have phased it out in favor of MPLS, Metro Ethernet, and VPN.
What is a PVC in Frame Relay?
A permanent virtual circuit is a fixed logical path between two sites across the shared Frame Relay network, identified by a DLCI.
How fast was Frame Relay?
Frame Relay typically ran from 56 Kbps up to a full T1 at 1.5 Mbps, depending on the committed information rate.
What replaced Frame Relay?
MPLS, Metro Ethernet, and site-to-site VPN replaced Frame Relay, offering far more bandwidth and better economics for multi-site WANs.
What is the difference between Frame Relay and MPLS?
MPLS is the modern managed WAN successor; it supports higher bandwidth, quality of service, and any-to-any connectivity that Frame Relay's fixed PVCs did not.
Should I deploy Frame Relay today?
No. For new multi-site connectivity, use Metro Ethernet, MPLS, or VPN instead, since Frame Relay is a retired technology.
More on Frame Relay
Frame Relay is a legacy packet-switched WAN technology that businesses once used to connect multiple sites over a wide area network. It worked by establishing permanent virtual circuits, or PVCs, logical paths across a carrier's shared backbone identified by a DLCI. Speeds ranged from 56 Kbps up to a full T1 at 1.5 Mbps, and each PVC carried a committed information rate that the carrier guaranteed, with bursting allowed when capacity was free. Because customers shared the same network, Frame Relay linked branch offices far more cheaply than running a dedicated point to point circuit to every location.
Today Frame Relay is largely retired. Carriers have phased it out, and modern WAN technologies have superseded it. MPLS and Metro Ethernet now provide managed, higher-bandwidth multi-site connectivity, while site-to-site VPN over business internet delivers private links at lower cost. Organizations still running Frame Relay should plan a migration to these replacements, which offer far greater bandwidth and better value.
Types of serviceOptions and variants
What businesses use it for
- ✓Branch office connectivity (historical). Frame Relay once linked multiple branch offices over a carrier's shared WAN at modest speeds.
- ✓Migrate to Metro Ethernet. Replace retired Frame Relay links with Metro or business Ethernet for far greater bandwidth.
- ✓Migrate to MPLS. Move multi-site Frame Relay WANs to MPLS for managed, any-to-any connectivity with quality of service.
- ✓Migrate to VPN. Replace low-speed Frame Relay PVCs with site-to-site VPN over business internet where budget is tight.
- ✓Plan an exit. Document existing PVCs and committed rates, then migrate off Frame Relay to a modern WAN.