Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. Introduction

2. Voice and Data—The History

3. Leveraging the Legacy Infrastructure

4. Moving Forward: The Converged Switching Architecture

5. Opportunities for Carriers

6. The Next-Generation Carrier

Self-Test

Glossary

PDF of this tutorial

A converged switching architecture offers solutions and benefits to competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), interexchange carriers (IXCs), and incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) alike.

• low-cost integrated services digital network (ISDN)–primary rate interface (PRI) provisioning—The cost of delivering PRIs to Internet service providers (ISPs) for Internet dial services can be slashed by using a converged switching solution (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. Low-Cost ISDN–PRI Provisioning
• PSTN offload—A converged switching solution deals easily with the PSTN’s most pressing problem: data traffic overload. By shifting long hold-time modem calls to the ATM backbone, the convergence switch frees up PSTN bandwidth for voice calls.
• rapid service deployment in new markets—A converged switching solution allows providers to deliver voice and data services to new geographies with a minimum of TDM equipment. The low initial investment helps carriers extend their market presence and capture market-share more quickly and cost-effectively.
• multiservice interworking between diverse access devices—An ATM–based converged switching solution forwards both voice and data traffic from digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAMs), integrated access devices, and service access multiplexers to the PSTN, the Internet, and other data networks without the need for DACSs or other TDM equipment (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Multiservice Interworking