The Internet is growing at an explosive rate, and every day more people are getting on-line. Some estimates project that by the year 2001, 94 million Internet users will be on-line in the United States alone. Another estimate expects that Internet users will reach 500 million by the year 2000 throughout the world. Meanwhile, the number of ISPs is growing rapidly.

According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) statistics, currently there are more than 4,000 ISPs offering services in the United States with more than 31 network backbones. Most Internet users today are using modems and standard telephone lines to connect their computers to the ISP of their choice. The lengthy connection time for Internet users has created a heavy burden on the PSTN. To deal with increasing numbers of Internet users and sustain the same level of services for plain old telephone service (POTS), incumbent local-exchange carriers (ILECs) must upgrade their networks by adding intermachine trunks (IMTs) and ports on their existing switches.

Adding expensive voice-based circuit-switching infrastructure for carrying packet-oriented data is not a desirable solution, especially when the customer cannot be billed for these enhancements. For this reason, there has been a constant effort to find alternative solutions to divert Internet traffic from the PSTN. Some of these solutions are based on new and emerging technologies. Most of these solutions are either expensive or do not offer the level of reliability and service that is expected from a system within a telephony network.

In addition, ISPs are not content with the current scheme of Internet connection. Although most ISPs are enjoying the flat telephone rate for their customers, a congested PSTN does not help ISPs either. In fact, ISPs hope to concentrate on their core business and leave connectivity and maintenance of the data network to the networking providers, provided the ISPs do not lose control over network management and the authentication of their customers. Adding a combination of the SS7 gateway and any of several alternative remote access servers (RASs) to the telephony network provides an excellent solution for both telephone companies and ISPs. Although this tutorial focuses on the United States telecommunications environment, the problem at hand exists throughout the world.