Next Generation convergent public networks

Recent worldwide telecommunication development and technological progress have been truly dramatic, a trend certain to continue and even accelerate in coming years. Therefore, it is essential for everyone working in telecommunications, especially members of telecommunication operators and regulatory bodies in different countries, to be acquainted with the new telecommunication networks now emerging.

It is of real importance to be aware of the types of network gaining ascendance, whether because of their capacity to provide new and more advanced services or their greater profitability, in order to be able to take investment decisions and understand how to regulate such a broad and changing area.

Next generation public networks have recently begun to emerge and gain ascendance in the provision of mass services. These are convergent, multi-service networks, in general, based on the IP protocol, making it possible to offer “triple play,” i.e., voice, data, and video, over the same network and reaching the customer simultaneously.

The course objective is to enable participants to familiarize themselves with next generation convergent public networks and to gain an understanding of their elements, the technology involved, services they can provide, and how this is done, so that they are able to take decisions regarding implementation of or migration to such networks, and the rules it is advisable to implement in that connection.

Traditional providers whose technological success was based on circuit switched platforms for voice and ATM for data have seen thrive on the international market initiatives for convergence over Ethernet and IP-type networks owing to their high profitability, better use of existing capacities and, especially, their use of a single convergent technology enabling data, voice, and video to be treated as a single system for central administration, with considerable savings for end users.

Such savings led to the emergence of thriving innovative companies, which began to compete with the large telecommunication service operators, at lower cost.

Countless applications exist which, as they are based on a single technological platform, are now within the reach of creative researchers, who add value to the network, thereby allowing for genuine competitiveness among companies and offsetting the stagnation found in basic telephony worldwide, especially in the more developed countries.

To understand the bases of this new market, it is essential to have knowledge of current technology, not only because of the possibilities it makes available but also because the trend towards migration to an IP-based convergent system is now irreversible, an assertion now made by even the world’s most conservative telecommunication market leaders.

Convergence is so far advanced that the market’s cutting edge is now no longer found in fixed telephony areas. It is instead meeting mobile and cellular system needs worldwide. The use of IP multimedia technologies is opening a new market, not only for emerging operators, but also for traditional providers and users, who are being obliged to migrate rapidly to this convergent platform. It is therefore essential to be aware of the factors that are ensuring the success of these developments.

Some noteworthy examples, to be discussed fully during the course, are the conclusive consolidation of IP-based call centers, unified messaging platforms, use of softswitches, IPTV services, and multimedia mobility.

The course discusses the most important current technologies, which must be mastered to understand their many implications that generate beneficial operational results. Such results are not achieved by taking a superficial approach, but require a thorough and very specific command of IP technology and its adaptation to the needs and challenges of real-time voice, image, and data transmission.

An awareness must be gained of the protocols used and parameters to be taken into account for successful implementation of these types of network. The course examines the most widely used protocols and those now being developed for implementation.

Another fundamental part of the course is the design of IP network quality of service as support for multimedia applications, which discusses aspects such as packet tagging, congestion handling, encoding, queuing, traffic adaptation, fragmentation, packet interleaving, and admission control to ensure and administer an IP network with quality of service.

Also discussed are the different aspects involved in implementing concepts of IP convergent services, primarily in the private, but also in the public network areas, where mass use imposes technological requirements on operators, for both access and the network’s backbone.

Although these topics are addressed individually in the technical literature, different sources of information and appropriate correlation thereof are needed to complete an program that covers all items to be discussed during the course.

Academic management CITEL-ITU
Engineering and
technology School
Catholic University of Uruguay