An improved digital packet switching apparatus enabling enhanced packet transmission and high bandwidth packet transfer. The digital packet switching methods and apparatus permit selectively switching digital signal packet between a set of nodes. The invention includes multiple processing cells, each having a processor coupled to an associated content-addressable memory element. Packet processors, electrically coupled to the memory elements, selectively receive packets from the nodes and transmit the packets into at least one of the plural memory elements; or receive packets from the memory elements and transmit the packets to at least one of the nodes.