A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a large computer network that usually spans a city or a large campus. A MAN is optimized for a larger geographical area than a LAN, ranging from several blocks of buildings to entire cities.
A MAN might be owned and operated by a single organization, but it usually will be used by many individuals and organizations. The network consists of various buildings interconnected via either wireless or fiber optics backbones. A MAN often acts as a high speed network to allow sharing of regional resources. A MAN typically covers an area of between 5 and 50 km diameter.
