(1) Frame relay SWITCHING is a form of Packet switching, but uses smaller packets and requires less error checking than traditional forms of packet switching. Like traditional X.25 packet networks, frame relay networks use Bandwidth only when there is traffic to send. (2) A packet-switching protocol for connecting devices on a Wide Area Network (WAN). Frame relay networks in the United States support Data transfer rates at T-1 (1.544 Mbps) and T-3 (45 Mbps) speeds. Most telephone companies now provide frame relay service for customers who want connections from 56 Kbps to T-1 speeds.