Telecommunications Essentials: The Complete Global Source

Chapter 4. The PSTN This chapter talks about the public switched telephone network (PSTN). It discusses what comprises the PSTN, what sorts of technologies have been used to complete the connections, how the signaling systems operate, and th...

The PSTN Infrastructure Views about what a network should be designed to support and what the infrastructure should be composed of have changed quite a bit over the years, as applications and technology have changed. Before discussing what is need...

The Transport Network Infrastructure The transport network includes two main infrastructures. The first is the PDH, also known as T-carrier, E-carrier, and J-carrier wideband transmission standards. This infrastructure was first introduced in th...

Signaling Systems The signaling system is the nervous system of the network. A great deal of information needs to pass back and forth between the network elements in the completion of a call and also in the servicing of specialized features. Four ...

Intelligent Networks The ITU's standardization of SS7 in 1980 began the evolution toward the concept of intelligent networking. An IN includes a set of nodes that rely on widespread distribution of call-handling functions and capabilities (see Fig...

SS7 and Next-Generation Networks The SS7 network acts as the backbone for the PSTN and INs; it provides access to the IN features, allows for efficient call setup and teardown, and interconnects thousands of service providers under one common si...