PSTN

(public switched telephone network)

Prepared by
Engr. Joseph O. Manalang, ECE
October 15, 2021
What is PSTN?

● Public switched telephone network

● The world's collection of interconnected voice-oriented public
telephone networks
● Traditional circuit-switched telephone network
● PSTN comprises all the switched telephone networks around the
world that are operated by local, national or international carriers.
These networks provide the infrastructure and services for public
telecommunication.

The phones themselves are known by several names, such as PSTN,

landlines, Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), or fixed-line
telephones.
PSTN Parts and Switching Evolution
2 Essential parts:
• Switching Network that provides the connection between customer lines and the
transmission facilities that interconnect the switching offices.

• Switching Control mechanism that responds to signals on the switching network

portion and directs the switching of connections through the switching network.

Switching Evolution
•Manually operated cord boards were the original switching office with
operators using a system of cords with plugs and jacks to manually switch calls.

• Electromechanical switches were developed that were motor driven or

electromagnetically operated that responded to electrical signals or pulses.

• Electronic switching elements made from semiconductor devices are now

used. They are computer driven under stored program control.
Transmission Facilities
Two main categories of
transmission paths in the
PSTN
● Lines are communication
paths from the customer
premise equipment to the
switching office

Transmission facilities provide the ● Trunks are communication

communication paths that carry traffic paths between two
between nodes in the PSTN switching systems

A third type of transmission facility is the special service

circuit. This is a dedicated path through the PSTN to
provide a special service to a specific customer.
CUSTOMER PREMISE EQUIPMENT (CPE)
Used to denote the station equipment the customer uses to interface with the PSTN.
It is a generally used term and covers any equipment the customer uses when calling on the PSTN

Examples of the most popular PSTN

services:

● The single line telephone set

● Modems or data sets
● Private Branch Exchange (PBX)
SWITCHING FUNDAMENTALS
Two functional categories:

● Local Switching - Local switching systems

connect customer loops directly to other
customer loops or to trunks
● Tandem Switching - The term tandem is used
generically for any switching system that
connects trunks to trunks
Terminologies
Switching System – A system used to select paths for connecting the calling party to the called party

Central Office – A telephone company building in which switching system and other telephone equipment
are installed (also called a Wire Center).

Distribution Facility – The physical connection between a Central Office and the customer location

Local Loop – A channel between a customer’s terminal and a Central Office. Also called a line

Interoffice Facility – A physical connection between two Central Offices.

Trunk – A communication path between two switching systems used in the establishment of an end-to-end
connection.

Local access and transport area (LATA) is a term used in U.S. telecommunications regulation
TRAFFIC NETWORK
The description of the telecommunications network is composed of physical elements, including station equipment,
transmission facilities, and switching systems. In this context, the network is seen as a facilities network

PSTN – PRE-DIVESTITURE PSTN – POST-DIVESTITURE

- Prior to 1984
- The PSTN actually consists of
two interdependent networks:
the local network (sometimes
called the exchange area
network) and the toll network.
- Post 1984
- The PSTN actually consists of
two interdependent networks:
the local network (sometimes
called the exchange area
network) and the toll network.
LOCAL Network
POST-DIVESTITURE NETWORK
LATA ACCESS SERVICES
Two types of services that LECs provide to ICs and other carriers to provide access to telephone
subscribers within a LATA:

• Switched Access – Provided by most LECs as either equal access for conforming end offices
(Feature Group D) or by several other forms of access for nonconforming end offices (Feature
Groups A, B, and C, described on the next page).

• Special Access (Nonswitched) – A transmission path used to connect end user-designated

premises, either directly or through a LEC hub.
Feature Groups
• Feature Group A (FGA) is a line-side access that includes foreign exchange service and inter-LATA Off-Network Access Line
(ONAL) service from private networks.

• Feature Group B (FGB) is a trunk-side access arrangement. Calls to the IC or other carriers use the telephone number
950-WXXX, where W equals 0 or 1. The call may go directly from the end office or be tandemed through a second office known as
an access tandem to reach the carrier.

• Feature Group C (FGC) contains the arrangements originally used between the BOC and AT&T for provision of
switched-access services. Originally it was thought that FGC would be used only until equal access was implemented under
Feature Group D However, many BOCs left FGC in place until Common Channel Signaling was available in the LATA.

• Feature Group D (FGD) consists of Equal Access End Office (EAEO)-to-IC, EAEO-to-access tandem, and access
tandem-to-carrier interconnection arrangements.

• Equal Access End Office (EAEO), the calling party enters all the address as usual. If not presubscribed to carrier, the calling
party can dial the access-code 10XXX. This is followed by 0 or 1 to indicate whether the call requires operator assistance (0) or
does not need it (1). Then the 7- or 10-digit telephone number of the called party is dialed.
NORTH AMERICAN NUMBERING PLAN
The 10-digit numbers used for network dialing within the North
American Numbering Plan consists of the following routing codes:

1.Numbering Plan Area (NPA) code, a 3-digit code (commonly called

an area code).

2.Central Office (CO) code, a 3-digit number that identifies a specific

switching system within each NPA. Also called “NXX”, it was formerly
noted as NNX, until a code expansion was needed. A Central Office
may handle more than one NXX.

3.Subscriber Station, a 4-digit code that identifies a specific customer

served by the switching system.

PHILIPPINES NUMBERING PLAN (Fundamental Numbering Plan)

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 4- DIGIT EXCHANGE CODES FOR AREA CODE "02".

Reference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fukXUnLVCuE

https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/PSTN