Overview

Public telephone systems today use the Internet for both; telephony voice and to carry signaling system 7 (SS7) messages. The Internet can provide reliable communication services by using the packet based transmission technologies used by IP-based protocols.

There is a difference between the Internet and IP based networks. IP based networks uses Internet protocol to route information within the network. The Internet is a public data network that interconnects private and government computers together. An IP based network does not have to be part of the Internet and it is possible for an Internet network operator to partition their data network to allow for different quality of service (QoS) levels. As a result, it is possible to reliably send SS7 control messages over IP based networks that may be part of the public Internet.

The Internet transfers data from point to point by packets that use Internet protocol (IP). Each transmitted packet in the Internet finds its way through the network switching through nodes (computers). Each node in the Internet forwards received packets to another location (another node) that is closer to its destination. Each node contains routing tables that provide packet forwarding information. These routing tables may be dynamically changed as a result of new connections or paths that may become available through the network. This is different than the SS7 system that allows the operator to have more precise control over the routing tables.

The use of IP based networks for voice, data, multimedia, and signaling offers...