SP230 SIGNALING
GATEWAY BRIDGES GAPS BETWEEN SIGNALING
PROTOCOLS AND COUNTRIES
From one continent
to another, and every country in between,
carriers can encounter dozens of in-band
and out-of-band signaling protocols.
A single country may even have multiple
signaling protocols operating simultaneously
within its public switched telephone
network (PSTN), a situation that presents
numerous gaps in international connectivity.
These differences arise from a number
of scenarios:
- Evolution
gaps in signaling protocols being used
- Different countries using different
in-band and out-of-band signaling protocol
variants
- Differences between SS7 ANSI
and SS7 ITU-T variants
- Capabilities
or limitations in individual switches
THE PROBLEM
Service providers often
face political, cultural, and tariff
challenges when extending network reach
across international borders. No less
difficult is the problem of disparate
network signaling protocols. In addition
to the legacy telephony R2 protocol and
its numerous variants, there are also
a multitude of ISDN and SS7 variants
present in world-wide networks. For example,
Brazil supports at least six different
R2 variants in its PSTN, along with ISDN
and its own variant of SS7 ISUP. In Mexico,
protocol support includes country-specific
R2 variants and the NOM112 variant of
SS7 ISUP in its national network.
Furthermore, Telmex has implemented
additional features on top of NOM112
that render it incompatible with other
Mexican service providers. Telefonica's
version of Spanish ISUP is being deployed
in national SS7 networks in Spain, Peru,
Chile, and Argentina. These are only
a few of the examples of signaling challenges
that international carriers and service
providers face today. They must find
a solution that supports not only multiple
signaling variants, but that also is
scalable and flexible enough to ease
inventory management.
THE SOLUTION
Encore Networks' SignalPath™
230 Signaling Gateway enables the transparent
translation of one signaling protocol
to another. In fact, an SP230 Signaling
Gateway can allow multiple conversions
on a single platform. For carriers, this
means a seamless interface between incompatible
in-band and out-of-band networks. This
is especially beneficial for international
carriers who have circuits between different
countries. Switch vendors also like what
the Signaling Gateway can do for them.
Placing a Signaling Gateway in a network
avoids the need for allocating resources
and capital to develop the complex signaling
protocols required. The vendor only needs
one set of interfaces by using the Signaling
Gateway as the mediation device. This
approach is, in essence, a middleware
that unifies switch deployment by enabling
any combination of signaling protocols.
More
and more telecom firms are choosing
the Encore Networks Signaling Gateway
to solve their signaling compatibility
problems. In fact, it is already deployed
commercially in over 80 countries as
the signaling interoperability solution
between incompatible TDM-based networks,
as well as for connecting TDM-based systems
with next-generation packet networks.
Encore Networks is helping CLECs, DLECs,
and global carriers think ahead to achieve
timely and successful roll-outs.
The following are some of the applications
for the SP230 Signaling Gateway:
- SS7
to ISDN (T1 PRI) conversion
- R2 to R2
(country to country)
- In-band R1 to ITU-T
SS7 conversion
- ANSI to ITU-T conversion
- ETSI PRI to NI2 ISDN
- ANSI SS7 to
ITU-T SS7
- Running multiple conversions
on single platform
- Rate conversion:
µ-law T1 to A-law E1
ENCORE NETWORKS: THE SIGNALING EXPERTS
Encore Networks' products address many
of the challenges facing next-generation
networks. A leader in SS7 signaling interworking,Encore
Networks designs signaling solutions
that aim for an efficient delivery of
converged services. The advanced Signaling
Gateway accomplishes this task by seamlessly
binding networks together.
Long-distance carriers, international
voice and data bypass service providers,
ISPs, CLECs, and voice over packet long
distance service providers all stand
to benefit from the Encore Networks Signaling
Gateway.
Ask our customers about the value of
our services. Our equipment is deployed
in over 80 countries world-wide. Whether
you operate a circuit-switched or packet
network, and whether you operate in the
U.S. or abroad, Encore Networks has the
signaling solution for you. |
