39.2 CONVERGENCE OF NETWORKS

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39.2 CONVERGENCE OF NETWORKS

We are now witnessing a revolution called convergence. This convergence is leading to unification of different networks and services, paving the way for a telecommunication network architecture as shown in Figure 39.2. There will be a backbone network that is a very high-speed optical fiber network. The various content providers will be connected to this backbone network. Users can access the content through access networks which can be PSTN, PLMN, cable TV network, or others. The access can be through any device of the user's choice—for example, he can obtain e-mail messages on his desktop through the PSTN, on the mobile device through PLMN, or on WebTV through the cable TV network. The various gadgets used by a person at office or home are networked as a personal area network. This convergence of networks and services in turn is the basis for unified messaging. A user can use any terminal (a telephone, laptop, or mobile phone) and obtain any service without bothering about the underlying telecommunication network. For instance, a person can be notified on his mobile phone about the arrival of new mail in the mailbox, and if he wants the server can read out the message. He can access the Internet through a mobile phone. Multiparty video conferencing between several people (perhaps all of them traveling) can be done cost effectively. In a nutshell, the convergence technologies provide us the benefit of a wide variety of telecommunication services—anywhere, anytime communication at a very low cost.

Figure 39.2: Convergence of Networks.

Convergence is paving the way for unification of different communication networks and services. Users can access any service using a device of his choice.

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