Intelligent multiservice networks

• Published in: Bell Labs technical journal 2002, Vol.7 (1), p.81-97
• Main Author: Kumar Jain, Anant
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Miscellaneous; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn
• ISSN: 1089-7089; 1538-7305
• DOI: 10.1002/bltj.28

Today, different services such as voice, data, and video are deployed, delivered, and accessed end-to-end using different infrastructure options such as public switched telephone network (PSTN), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet protocol (IP)-based switching/routing, time division multiplexing (TDM) (plesiochronous digital hierarchy [PDH], synchronous optical network/synchronous digital hierarchy [SONET/SDH]), IP, ATM or wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based transport and analog, integrated services digital network (ISDN), digital subscriber line (xDSL), cable or passive optical networking (PON)-based access technologies. The problem faced by the industry is that these multitudes of options do not leverage on each other, and thus cannot offer a unified access and/or adapt to the growing bandwidth demand and just-in-time service needs in the current and evolving multiservice environment. This paper attempts to find a solution on this issue. The approach taken is rather unconventional. It abstracts the service view of all the components - switching, transmission, and access of the infrastructure - and proposes to apply the service-based network intelligence building approach as applied to switching components in the form of intelligent networks (IN), and currently in voice-over IP (VoIP) networks. The paper's approach is extended to two other components transforming them into intelligent optical networks and intelligent local loops, respectively. The article identifies the services from end users', network operators', and service providers' perspectives. Then, it explores how these services can be delivered and deployed intelligently in these segments. It also examines the alternative approaches to IN, such as softswitches, active networking, and mobile agent technology to make the networks programmable. Overall, it envisions next-generation networks as "intelligent multiservice networks" comprising multiservice transport, access, and switching integrated intelligently to deliver the services end-to-end. The analysis of services and recommendations presented in this paper are pertinent to wireline next-generation networks. The paper does not cover the wireless infrastructure in its analysis and has left it for further study.