[Asterisk-Users] SS7 and Asterisk solution

[Damon Estep]

> Damon Estep wrote:
> 
> >Steve,
> >
> >So you do not think that SIGTRAN has legs?
> >
> >Damon
> >
> >
> Dunno. If there are a huge proliferation of IP telephony, what part
> would SIGTRAN play? Seems like its superfluous in that scenario. Like
I
> said, its being deployed now, but that is mostly within the existing
> PSTN framework - SS7 over IP instead of MTP controlling the good old
> switched circuits. What future role do you see for it?
> 
> Regards,
> Steve
> 

Hard to tell this early on, but is seems like the main goal of a lot of
VoIP service providers (including us) is to bypass the PSTN in every way
possible.

If VoIP ever reaches critical mass, which is likely, it would make sense
for the VoIP providers to bypass SS7 and find a way to exchange
information without it. It seems to me the main reason to go SS7 is to
be able to bill carriers for termination on your network and gain access
to Inter-Machine Trunks.

VoIP providers are not really collecting a lot of termination money
right now; it is usually the upstream provider that running the class 5
switches that receives that revenue. VoIP providers are more concerned
with being able to offer free long distance, which requires toll bypass
via VoIP.

I do not have a great education on the issue, but what I do know
indicates that a lot of the domestic long distance, particularly the
calling card portion, already bypasses large PSTN spans.

Once the value of being able to collect termination fees deteriorates it
is likely that the system that drives it will deteriorate as well.

One thing that I think confuses the issue is local number portability,
since it will be much harder to route calls as the NPA/NXX boundaries
disappear. I am obviously speaking from a USA perspective.

At some point you have to get in "front" of the SS7 network to know when
you can bypass it, and that will have to come in the form of a public
registry of phone numbers, much like ARIN/APIC/RIPE do now or IP
numbers. Again local number portability really mucks this up.

Who knows? I think we would both agree that for the near future SS7 is
reality and there is a market for an * implementation as long as he US
based RBOCs will certify it.