An apparatus and method for switching and/or routing electronic data between two networks communicating at different bit rates, where the bit rate of the faster network divided by the bit rate of the slower network is a non-integer. A switching/routing unit interconnects the networks via two set of lanes, one set connected to each network. Each lane communicates at a bit rate that is a common factor of the two bit rates. One set of lanes communicates with a set of transceivers that communicate at the faster bit rate on the faster network. The other set of lanes communicates with a (larger) set of network elements (NEs) that communicate at the slower bit rate on the slower network. Each transceiver and NE is structured so that the total bit rate of the lanes communicating with it is equal to the bit rate of its respective network.