Telephone Switching

Basics and Back to the Future (Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP)

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Why is VoIP important?

Data Growth Relative Volume vs. Revenue

Bits per second per dollar invested

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History of Telephone Switching

Users would ring an operator and ask to be connected to a given line The operator would then run a cable connecting his/her line to the calledpartys line Operators may barge-in to let you know of and incoming call (VERY early call-waiting signal) Limited number of lines able to connect Challenging calling queue for operators

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Fairness of Attention to Callers

Allmon Strowgers switch

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Dialing to reach a party

A pulse advances the relay one step Train of pulses constitute the phone number of the party Beginnings of a dialing plan (P6-5000)

Switch bank

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Call Aggregation Trunking

Impractical to build, house and maintain bigger switches Need to interconnect switches within a region (urban sprawl) Scale-up the volume of calls (make more revenue) Tap into the Long Distance market

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DS0 Voice Sampling

Voice band: 20Hz to 4000Hz Nyquist sampling rate: sample at least twice as fast as the highest frequency in the band Hence, sample at 8000Hz But, do it for several conversations (channels), so multiplex Add framing information (Inband signaling) 8000*193=1.54MHz

Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)

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E1 T1 Signaling Comparison
8000*193=1.544 MHz

8000*256=2.048 MHz Ral Hazas 8

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Digital Signal Hierarchy

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Meanwhile, at the Central Office (CO)

Telcos (Telephone companies) started selling new services, suitable for small business start-ups, banks and financial institutions, temporary locations, to name a few. It wasnt necessary for any switching equipment to be installed on the customer premises (no Premises Equipment, PE). Stations inside the service group could call each other with 3, 4 or 5 digits, depending on how large the group, instead of an entire telephone number.
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Kinds of Centrex Services

Call Transfer Call Divert on no reply /on busy Call Waiting Three Party Conference Call Pick Up (Group) Ring Back Reminder / Alarm call Last Number Redial Centrex Hotline (non-dialed connection) Centrex Warm Line (delayed Hotline) Centrex Hunt Groups, with optional bypass numbers, AND AND Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
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Miniaturization
In the early seventies, the advent of the microprocessor unveiled a plethora of switches targeted to Government offices, hotels, universities and Fortune 500 companies. Depending on the customers requirements, they were connected by one or more T1 trunks.

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For Smaller Customers

A key system or key telephone system is a multiline telephone system typically used in small office environments. They usually offered the following functions: Answering machine functions Remote supervision of the entire system Automatic call accounting Speed dialing Caller ID Station-specific limitations (such as no long distance access or no paging) Selection of signaling sounds

Key Service Unit (KSU)

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Now back to our regular programming

TELEPHONE SWITCHING PART 2

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Circuit Switching vs. Packet Switching

Circuit switching is part of an ordinary phone call Each user has sole access of a circuit during network use 3 Phases: Set-up, use, disconnect Set-up is achieved by dialing

Inefficient use of resources when circuit is used to transfer information

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Packet switching
Breaks messages into packets Packets can traverse the network individually Packet == Datagram == PDU Protocol Data Unit (PDU). More on PDUs later

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Role of Network Protocols

Protocols establish actions on processes occurring in different network devices The format or structure of the message The method by which networking devices share information about pathways (trunks, links) with other networks How and when error and system messages are passed between devices The setup and termination of data transfer sessions
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Layering and Models

Using a layered model to describe network operations can aid in Protocol design. Allowing products from different vendors work together. Preventing any changes in one layer from affecting other layers above and below. Providing a common language to describe networking functions and services.

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Internet Protocol (IP)

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Message Encapsulation
As application data is passed down the protocol layers on its way to be transmitted across the network various protocols add information to it at each level. On the receiving computer, the opposite process reassembles the PDUs into the necessary data for the peer application to run.

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A brief digression
The Internet Protocol grew up as part of the inter-networking efforts of the labs working for the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA). At the same time the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) were developing a set of protocols and interfaces definitions for the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) so digitized voice and packet data would seamlessly integrate within the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
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Integrated Services Digital Network

A circuit-switched telephone network system. Also provides access to packet switched networks. Designed to allow digital transmission of voice and data over ordinary telephone copper wires. Bearer (B) channels carry voice or data streams at DS0 rate. Delta (D) channel carries signaling and control information. Out-of-band signaling

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ISDN Promises

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Virtual Circuits
For packet switching networks (X.25, Frame Relay), even though the packets are independent units, routing is assured for them Those constitute Virtual Channels In Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) packets are reduced in size down to 53 bytes (48 payload) Virtual Channels now become Virtual Circuits
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Demise of Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN)

Fiber optic deployment among Telcos promised to provide greater throughput to customers The problem with ATM was in porting services and applications into their own services ATM is, nevertheless, used as the premier packet transport mechanism, for instance in Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) and other networks
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Once again, back to our regular programming

TELEPHONE SWITCHING PART 3

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What is a Carrier?
The 1996 Telecommunications Act sought to open up markets to competition. Key fact: Interconnectedness entrants could interconnect their networks with those of the incumbent carriers. Competing Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) connect their equipment at the main distribution frame where the plain old telephone systems (POTS) exchange equipment connects with the outside plant (user telephone lines).

Main Distribution Frame (MDF)

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Switching Hierarchy and Numbering Plan

A much briefer digression

CLECs connect their networks at the local exchange (LE) or class 5 of the Switching Hierarchy. Local Number Portability (LNP) was mandated by the 1996 Act, allowing subscribers to change service to a different provider and keep the same phone number.

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Success factors in VoIP

Standards
For interconnection to the PSTN For the interconnection of IP-based components that emulate and replace the functionality of the legacy equipment: signaling, call setup and tear down, number portability, etc.

A CLEC doesnt have to spend millions on PE, but can provide some of the telephone network functions at competitive prices
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VoIP Topology
The Media Gateway is a router with trunk capabilities; converts PSTN DS0 streams into IP packets. A class 5 Service Switching Point (SSP) is responsible for call setup, management, and termination with other SSPs (SSP==CO). Provide dial tone to subscribers. In order to provide LNP, phone companies subscribe to the services of an independent administrative entity who holds the management rights for up to 5 years.

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