Deploying VoIP as a Growth Strategy
Besides the obvious that Voice over IP (VoIP) provides an economical means of growing
the network, the VoIP functions (media gateway and media gateway controller, specifically)
provide the next phase of implementation needed to support a full IMS network.
Consider this: the TDM network relies on switches, which provide all of the functions
needed to originate and terminate a telephone call. These switches are expensive today
and are difficult to cost-justify in small rural markets.
However, if an operator could deploy a small, inexpensive box consisting of nothing
more than a switching fabric (the matrix connecting one circuit to another), the operator
should be able to reduce the cost of their service offering in those markets.
Removing the ???intelligence??? from the switch means placing the call control in the core
of the network. This was the original concept behind VoIP networks. Place the switching
fabric out at the network edge, but keep all of the intelligence and call control in
the core where it can be secured and maintained.
The MGC is the entity bringing call control to the core of the network. This is the
entity that interconnects all of the media gateways together, and using a call control
Moving from Legacy to Convergence 33
protocol (such as SIP) communicates to each of the media gateways what resources
(such as codecs) are needed to support a call or session.
Pages:
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96