Voice Over IP

THE QUESTION: NOT IF, BUT HOW?

Even with the uncooperative nature of the public Internet, and data networks in general, the question is not if IP telephony will be implemented; the question is how. Many issues surround this question. Let me cite four examples that are explained later in more detail.

First, what happens to the current telephone network? This is not a trivial issue, and VoIP systems must be able to internetwork with the current telephone company (telco) network. Is the lynchpin of the telephone network, Signaling System Number 7 (SS7), going to be eliminated? No, it will interwork with IP in order for a user to have all the features in VoIP that are taken for granted today in telco-based SS7 networks, such as call hold, calling ...