DATAPAC was Canada's packet switched X.25-equivalent data network. Operated first by Trans-Canada Telephone System, then Telecom Canada, then the Stentor Alliance, it finally reverted to Bell Canada when the Stentor Alliance was dissolved.
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Use
One of the uses of DATAPAC network was to transmit debit card transactions between retailers and the financial institutions (banks) through the Interac Direct Payment EFTPOS network. Some automatic teller machines also used the DATAPAC network.
It was also used to transmit lottery ticket numbers that are purchased by customers.
Types of connections
Future use
With the advent of lower-cost WAN technologies like IP/MPLS, the importance of DATAPAC diminished in the marketplace. Bell phased out support for DATAPAC, discontinuing the service at the end of 2009.