A method and apparatus by which digitized large frames of packets are sent between computer-based switches over a data network and central switch with greater efficiency than with existing digitized voice switching technology. Frame bundling combines the voice packets coming from different terminals into longer frames so that the number of frames and the overhead is reduced on the data network. Frame bundling may be done only with terminals that are connected to the same destination switch. The efficiency of this invention depends on the number of switches in the network and the amount of traffic between pair of switches. Payload switching then sets up one or more central nodes that are connected to several other switches. The central node disassembles the large frames into the packets and reassembles the packets into large combined frames. The disassembled and reassembled frames are sent to the destination switches from the central node.