34.7 MERGER OF DOTCOM AND TELECOM OR THE DEATH OF PSTN?

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34.7 MERGER OF DOTCOM AND TELECOM OR THE DEATH OF PSTN?

In the past, the PSTN was used exclusively for voice and fax communications and the Internet for data communications. Today, the Internet (in general, any IP network) is used for voice, fax, and video as well. This is an important paradigm shift, giving rise to the convergence of networks and the convergence of services to end users. Though the Internet in the present form is constrained by lack of bandwidth to support high-quality voice and video traffic, in the future, bandwidth will not be a constraint. That will lead to a lot of restructuring in the business strategies of the basic telecom operators and the Internet service providers.

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Multimedia communication over IP networks is paving the way for the convergence of various services. The Internet infrastructure can be effectively used for two-way communication, multiparty conferencing, and audio/video broadcasting.

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If the Internet is going to be used for voice, fax, and video transmission, what will happen to the good old PSTN? During the initial days of introduction of VoIP, a few futurologists wrote the obituaries of major long distance telecom providers. In countries where long distance communication is controlled by governments, VoIP is considered illegal, but the use of the technology cannot be stopped, and sooner or later every country will have to allow voice and video communication over the Internet. Does it lead to long distance carriers going out of business? Does it lead to the death of PSTN? Well, the old adage came into action: "If you cannot beat them, join them". The long distance carriers joined hands with the ISPs to offer multimedia services over the Internet by offering their bandwidths.

Multimedia over IP is the integrating force for convergence. The PSTN, PLMN, Internet, and cable TV networks can all merge together to offer a unified service to the subscriber. The subscriber will be able to choose a single terminal (or multiple terminals) to access data, voice, fax, and video services without bothering about the underlying network or the protocols. Each subscriber can also be identified by a single personal telecommunications number (PTN), and the network can be programmed to route calls to the PTN that is identified by the terminal of choice. And, the subscriber can get a single bill for all the services.

Whether the PSTN as we know it will survive or die is a moot point. The subscriber has to be provided quality service for all the communication needs, and this service should be easy to use, of low cost, and reliable.



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Principles of Digital Communication Systems and Computer Networks
Principles Digital Communication System & Computer Networks (Charles River Media Computer Engineering)
ISBN: 1584503297
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 313
Authors: K V Prasad

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