The invention comprises systems and methods of creating and maintaining a communications network. In one embodiment, a customer receives free of charge telecommunication services, which may include telephone service, voice mail service, facsimile service, or other services, in exchange for agreeing to listen to one or more targeted advertisements prior to use of the services. In one embodiment, the electrode may be split into two metal nitride layers separated by an intervening metal layer. The Network element is connected on the one hand with a network using both TDM traffic carried on ATM cells, and ATM cell traffic, and on the other hand via at least one PDH transmission line connected with a chain containing at least one second network element using TDM traffic and at least one further network element using ATM traffic.