2. 6.2 Draw a diagram illustrating the Signaling System No.7 (SS7) protocol stack and label the
different parts.
Message Transfer Parts (MTP 1, 2, and 3)
Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP)
Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP)
Telephony User Part (TUP)
ISDN User Part (ISUP)
3. 6.3 Describe the limitations of the POTS
Plain Ordinary Telephone Service (POTS) is voice-grade telephone service employing
analog signal transmission over copper loops.[1]
POTS was the standard service offering
from telephone companies from 1876 until about 1960,
Limitations
-low sound quality
-low bandwidth
-no Mobile capabilities
-limited frequency range of 300 to 3400 (human 20-20,000)
6.4 Give a brief definition of an IN referencing service logic and switching equipment.
Intelligent Network (IN) is a telephone network architecture originated by Bell
Communications Research (Bellcore) in which the service logic for a call is located
separately from the switching facilities, allowing services to be added or changed
without having to redesign switching equipment. According to Bell Atlantic, IN is a
"service-specific" architecture. That is, a certain portion of a dialed phone number, such
as 800 or 900, triggers a request for a specific service. A later version of IN called
Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) introduces the idea of a "service-independent"
architecture in which a given part of a telephone number can interpreted differently by
different services depending on factors such as time of day, caller identity, and type of
call. AIN makes it easy to add new services without having to install new phone
equipment.
.
IN – Is the standard Network architecture specified in the ITU-T Q.1200 Series
recommendation. It is intended for fixed as well as Mobile Telecom Networks. It allows
operators to differentiate themselves by providing value-added services in addition to
the standard telecom service such as PSTN,ISDN and GSM Services on Mobile
Phones.
The Intelligence is provided by network nodes on the service on layer distinct
from the switching layer of the Core Network, as opposed to solutions based on
intelligence in the Core Switches or Telephone Equipment. The IN nodes are typically
4. owned by telecommunication operators. It is supported by Signalling System #7(SS7)
protocol between telephone network switching centers and other network nodes owned
by network operators.
6.5 Describe an IN and the advantages offered by an IN
- Is the standard network architecture specified in the ITU-TQ.1200 series recommendations.
- It is intended for fixed as well as mobile telecom networks.
- Allows operators to differentiate themselves by providing value-added services
- It is supported by the Signalling System #7(ss7- protocol btw telephone network switching
centers & other network nodes owned by network operators)
E.g of IN services are: Televoting, call screening, Telephone number portability, Toll Free
calls/Freephone, Prepaid Calling. Account Card Calling, Virtual Private Networks(such as family
group calling)
Advantages of this architecture (IN)
Separation between applications: switching functions handled by the SSP, radio
control functions handled by GSM servers (Radio Control Processor – RCP).
Functions can be developed independently.
The MSC handles all mobile radio network access functions.
The RCP handles all mobile radio functions:
Mobility management and radio frequencies (Radio Control Function – RCF).
It incorporates the VLR function (Visitor Location Register).
6.6 Describe the advanced services that INs can offer
Toll-free calling – Is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls instead of incurring
charges to the originating telephone subscriber. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free
number from a landline is free of charge.
Telephone Voting(televoting) – Is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted
by telephone. Can also extend to voting by sms text message via a mobile cell phone.
Call Screening –Is the process of evaluating the characteristics of a telephone call before
deciding how or whether to answer it.
Premium rates – Certain services are provided and for which prices higher than normal are
charged. Unlike normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider. Billing is
different, calls are routed the same way they are for a toll-free number
5. Call Centre – Is a centralized office used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of requests
by telephone.
-A call Centre has an open workspace for call Centre agents, with work stations that include a
computer for each agent, a telephone set/ head sent connected to a telecom switch, and one
or more supervisor station.
Local Number Portability- refers to the ability of a customer of record of an existing fixed-line
or mobile telephone number assigned by a local exchange carrier to reassign the number to
another carrier(service provider portability), move it to another location or change the type of
service.
Personalized Billing- allowing you to monitor usage on a daily basis. This gives you the flexibility
to tag both business and personal calls and monitor business usage as regularly as you want
through a suite of reporting functions.
-You can monitor the amount and length of calls made to any number dialed from a company
mobile or fixed line telephone.
-The systemcan tag personal calls, international numbers, premium rate numbers or 118
prefixes.
6.7 Describe the Technologies used in Ins.
-SS7- Is a set of telephony signaling protocols developed in1975
- Is used to set up and tear down most of the world’s public switched telephone network(PSTN)
telephone calls.
-Performs number translation, local number portability, Prepaid billing, short message
service(SMS) and mass market services.
ITU-T – Is one of the three sectors(divisions or units) of the International Telecommunication
Union(ITU). It coordinates standards for telecommunications.
-to ensure the efficient and timely production of standards covering all fields of
telecommunications on a worldwide basis.
-Does the defining tariff and accounting principles for international telecommunications
services.
6. -ITU-T is part of the ITU, which is a united nations specialized agency, its standards carry more
formal international weight than those of most other standards development organizations
that publish technical specifications of a similar form.
6.8 Describe the key features of the SS7 technology that facilitates the operation of Ins.
-The network can be made up of several link types(A,B,C,D,E&F) & three signaling nodes-
Service switching points(SSPs), Signal Transfer Points(STPs), and Service Control Points(SCPs)
-The Links between nodes are full-duplex 56,64,1,536 or 1,984kbps graded communication
channels.
6.9 Describe the components of the SS7 protocol stackand their functions.
TCAP: Transaction Capabilities Application Part; allows applications(called subsystems) to
communicate with each other(over the SS7 network) using agreed-upon data elements. These
data elements are called components. Component can be viewed as instructions sent between
application.
SCCP: Signalling Connection Control Part; The combination of the MTP and the SCCP is called
the Network Service Part(NSP).
The SCCP provides a more flexible means of routing and provides mechanisms to transfer data
over the SS7 network such additional features are used to support non circuit-related signaling,
which is mostly used to interact with data bases(SCPs). It is also used to connect the radio-
related-component in cellular networks and for inter-SSP communication supporting CLASS
Services.
SCCP also provides application management functions, applications are mostly SCp database
and called Subsystems.
MTP: Message Transfer Part; (Layer1, Layer2 & Layer3) is SS7’s native means of packet
transport .In recent years there has been an interest in the facility to transport SS7 signalling
over IP instead of using SS7 native MTP. This effort has largely been carried out by the Internet
Engineering Task Force(IETF) Sigtran (Signalling Transport) working group.
TUP: Telephone User Part. & ISUP: Integrated Services User Part. ; Both perform the signaling
required to set up and tear down telephone calls. As such, both are circuit-related signaling
protocol. TUP was the first call control protocol specified. It could support only Plain Old
Telephone Service(POTS). Most countries are replacing TUP with ISUP. Both North America&
Japan by passed TUP and went straight from earlier signaling systems to ISUP. ISUP supports
both POTS and ISDN calls. It also has more flexibility and features than TUP.
7. 6.10 Describe the function of differenttypes of signaling endpoints
In telephony, a service switching point (SSP) is the telephone exchange that initially
responds, when a telephone caller dials a number, by sending a query to a central database
called a service control point (SCP) so that the call can be handled. The service switching
point uses the Signalling System 7 (SS7) protocols which are responsible for the call setup,
management, and termination with other service switching point.
A Signal Transfer Point (STP) is a router that relays SS7 messages between signaling
end-points (SEPs) and other signaling transfer points (STPs)
the STP routes the messages to the appropriate outgoing signaling link. Edge STPs can
also route based upon message body content using deep packet inspection techniques,
and can provide address translations and screen content to limit the transfer of messages
with dubious content or sent from unreliable sources. To meet stringent reliability
requirements, STPs are typically provisioned in mated pairs.