[Asterisk-Users] SS7 and Asterisk solution

[Steve Kennedy]

On Wed, Jan 12, 2005 at 05:30:31PM -0000, Ben Merrills wrote:

> We have the problem that our telecoms provider deals mainly in SS7 (C7,
> and it seems most in the UK do). For us to take EuroISDN off them, with
> the same features as SS7, we have to be put through a protocol
> converter, now this isn't an issue for us, but it is for them.
> Most UK phone companies (i.e. BT or the smaller regional carriers) all
> use SS7, everywhere! For the most part they don't accept VoIP
> termination (although I think BT might have some facilities for this).
> So they very much try and push SS7 on interconnects.
> And that's why SS7, for me (and I think for quite a few others taking
> PRI style links in the UK) is so important.

Unfortunately SS7 comes at a cost. In the UK to talk to a telco using
SS7 you generally needed a Telecomms license (which mandates telcos to
interchange traffic with you). Now telco licenses have been scrapped (as
per EU directives and the Communications Act) you're just meant to be
able to ask etc.

However they can demand that your SS7 stack is certified, and BT take
about 6 months to provision/test an SS7 voice interconnect, other telcos
may take longer. If you scr*w up at the SS7 level, they'll disconnect
you as fast as you can shout "sorry", and they can refuse to
interconnect with you ever again !!!

You also have to be running the right version of SS7 (I think the latest
is UK8, though a lot of operators are running UK7).

Steve

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