Chapter 5. The Public Network

In this chapter...

  • Switched Services—Local and Long Distance Calling

  • Dedicated Services

  • Virtual Private Networks—Connectivity for Remote Access, Intranets and Extranets

  • “The Last Mile” or Access Networks

  • Optical Networking

  • Network Intelligence and Signaling

  • Convergence—Technical Advances Leading to Improvements in IP Networks

  • Examples of Converged Networks

  • Document Sharing and Click to Talk

  • Summary

The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is made up of switches, cabling and equipment that simultaneously transmits multiple telephone calls over single pairs of fiber cabling. The extraordinary characteristic of public networks is that carriers from all parts of the world have agreed on ways to transmit calls to each other. ...

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