CHAPTER FOUR

Public Switched Telephone Network

(PSTN)

Course Code: ECEg4282

Course Title: Telecommunication Networks
2014 E.C
 Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Outline
 Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
 Introduction to PSTN
 Circuit Switching
 Local Loop Technologies
 Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN)
 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
 Frame Relay

2
 Introduction
• Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) describes the various equipment
and interconnecting facilities that provide phone service to the public.

• It is a technology based on circuit switching by duplex connections.

• Temporary bidirectional connections are set.

• Originally it was used for speech (voice) only at 300-3400 Hz.

• At the core of the PSTN are digital switches. The term "switch" describes the
ability to cross-connect a phone line with many other phone lines and
switching from one connection to another
3
 Intro….
• Earlier two subscribers were connected by purely physical
connection (physical switch contacts).

• Nowadays different time slots are assigned for different subscribers.

• The digital PSTN system uses PCM for speech coding and TDM for
multiplexing.

• The PSTN is integrated with other telecommunication networks

such as ISDN and PLMN.
4
 The main elements of the PSTN
 The main components of a PSTN include:
 Customer premises equipment
 Access system
 Local loop and termination equipment at the end office switch
 Transport core
 Transport is the carriage of voice
 Signaling
 Signaling is the control of calling

5
The main elements of the PSTN cont’d…

6
The main elements of the PSTN cont’d…

7
The main elements of the PSTN cont’d…

8
The main elements of the PSTN cont’d…

9
 Circuit Switching
 A circuit is an end-to-end connection between two subscribers.
 Capacity is reserved on all trunk lines and switches along the way.

10
 Circuit Switching Cont’d….
 Users are served by an access network that connects them to the local central office (CO)
switch.
 The CO switches themselves are interconnected with higher-speed communication lines
through tandem switches.
 Tandem switches, in turn, connect to toll switches that are used to provide long-distance
connections.

Fig: PSTN Hierarchies 11

Development of circuit switching technology

Note: SPC (Stored Program Control)

12
 Local Loop Technologies
• The local loop consists of a pair of copper wires extending from the CO to a residence
or business that connects to the phone, fax, modem, or other telephony device.
• It allows a subscriber to access the PSTN through its connection to the CO. The local
loop terminates on the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) at the CO, or on a remote line
concentrator.

13
 Transmitted signal in the PSTN
 Today’s PSTN is predominantly digital with analog local loops

14
 Codec at the end office switch
• The codec at the end office translates between analog customer signals
and digital internal signals.

15
 Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC)
• Bandpass filtering to limit voice to 4 kHz is carried out at the end office
switch.

16
 Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) Cont’d….
• The human voice can produce sounds up to 20 kHz, but most sound is
between 300 Hz and 3.4 kHz.

17
 Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) Cont’d….
• In pulse code modulation (PCM), the bandwidth is assumed to be 4 kHz.
This adds “guard bands” to the actual 300 Hz - 3.1 kHz signal.

18
 Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) Cont’d….
• For signals going to the customer, sample bits are converted to amplitude
levels for each sample.
• 8,000 samples per second, will sound smooth to the ear.

19
 Speech Codecs
• Several different codecs can be used.
• The codecs vary in compression and sound quality.

20
 TDM and ATM switch connections in the PSTN transport Core
• Traditionally, the transport core used TDM trunk lines both point-to-point
and ring trunk lines.

21
 Transport Core and Signaling
 Transport Core
– TDM: point-to-point and ring
– SONET uses dual rings for reliability
 If there is a break, the rings are wrapped
– ATM uses packet switching
 More efficient than TDM, replacing TDM
 Signaling
– SS7 in the United States, C7 in Europe
– Interoperable

22
 Switching systems at ETC
 Analog Switches/Exchanges

 Previously ARF-102 and AGF (of ERICSSON product), C400 (of NEC
product) were analog automatic exchanges used for local services and
their capacity extends from 500 to 10,000.

 For small capacity of rural services there was an exchange called ARK
(ERICSSON product).

 ARM-201 and NC-82 exchange were used for national and international
(one way) service.
23
 Switching systems at ETC cont’d…
 Digital Switches/Exchanges:
 Nowadays the switches that we have through out the country are all
digital automatic switches
 At the moment there are 4 main types of switches used through out the
country. These are:
1. AXE-1 0…….…ERICSSON product (Sweden)
2. DMS-10………..TELRAD (NORTEL) product (Israel)
3. DMS-100………TELRAD (NORTEL) product (Israel)
4. C&C08…………HUAWEI product (China)

24
 Types of Switches/Exchanges
 The switches/exchanges at ETC can in general be classified as:
i. Combined national/international transit exchanges: AXE-10, C&C08
ii. National transit exchange: C&C08
iii. Local Tandem exchange: AXE-10, C&C08, DMS-10, DMS-100
iv. Local (Parent, Stand alone, Remote subscriber stage) exchange: AXE-10,
C&C08, DMS-10
 Previously AXE-10 at Nazret, D/Dawa, Jimma, Nekemt, B/Dar and DMS-100
at Dessie, Mekele, Shashemene were used as local transit exchange. But
nowadays they are replaced by C&C08 (HUAWEI) national transit exchange.
 Nowadays, there are 2 combined national/international transit exchanges (1
AXE-10, 1 C&C08) and there are 8 national transit (C&C08) exchanges all over
the country.
25
 Types of local exchanges
 There are 3 types of local exchanges. These are:

i. Parent Exchange

ii. Stand alone

iii. Remote Subscriber Subsystems (RSS)

26
 Types of local exchanges cont’d…
 AXE-10 serves for medium, large and very large capacity demand with a
maximum capacity of around 50,000.
 All AXE-10 exchanges are installed in a building.
 DMS-10 serves for small, medium and large capacity demand with a
maximum capacity of around 10,000.
 DMS-10 can be installed in a building as well as in a container.
 DMS-100 is used for large capacity services and it serves as local and transit
(combined) exchange when the need arises.
 C&C08 extends from small capacity of 500 to large capacity of 10,000
subscriber lines.
 C&C08 can be installed in buildings as well as a container and serves as local
and national/international transit exchange.
27
 Distribution of Switches/Exchanges
 AXE-10:
 1 national/international switch
 28 parent local switches
 5 RSS
 DMS-100:
 3 parent local switches
 DMS-10:
 72 parent local switches
 8 UNIREM
 C&C08:
1 national/international switch
 Totally 160 switches/exchanges are under installation from these 98 are
operational
28
 Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
Outline
 Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN)
 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
 Frame Relay

29
 Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN)
 Integrated Services: different services are provided to users using the same
network resources (not a dedicated network, rather an integrated network)
 Digital: data are transferred in digital format (bits or symbols), independently
of their original nature, up to the user terminal.
 There are two types of ISDN:
 Narrow band (N-ISDN)
 Carry data rating up to 64kbps (ranging up to T1 rates)
 Used to refer to regular telephone and non-video capable systems
 Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN)
 Developed to handle high bandwidth applications e.g. video.
 Provides data rates of 155Mbps to 622 Mbps and beyond. Uses ATM
technology over SONET based transmission units operational
30
 ISDN Services
 ISDN services generally fall into three categories:
• Bearer services
• Teleservices
• Supplementary services

31
 ISDN Services cont’d…
 Bearer Services:
• Offers the capability to transport digital voice or non voice services.
• Provide the means to transfer the information (voice, data & video)
between users.
• The network doesn’t need to process the information
• It belongs to the first three layers of OSI model.
 Tele Services:
• The network may change or process the contents
• This service correspond to layers 4-7 of the OSI model.
 Supplementary Services:
• Provides additional functionality to the Bearer and Tele Services
32
 Advantages of ISDN
 High speed services

 Lower Cost

 High quality transmission

 Simultaneous transmission

 Multiple device connection

 Conferencing

35
 Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN)
 B-ISDN is a digital service which provides high speed and data handling needs
of the next generation technology with speed above 1.544Mbps.
 It uses fiber at all levels of telecommunications
 It provides two types of services:
• Interactive services (conversational or messaging)
• Distributive (video broadcasting …)
 Interactive services are bidirectional where as distributive services are
unidirectional.
 Forms of B-ISDN:
• Frame relay
• ATM
36
 Frame Relay
 It is designed for ordinary data applications and transmits data frames with variable
length.

 Packet switching with virtual circuit service

• The network operator sets up a virtual connection between end points and
frames with circuit identifiers are routed through the network.

• Label name DLCI (Data Link Connection Identifier)

• Virtual circuits are bi-directional

 The network capacity is shared between users and the cost for long-distance
connections is much lower than cost of leased-line connections
37
 Frame Relay cont’d…
 Data checking and acknowledgement procedures are performed by the
network users and the protocols in use are much simpler and can support a
much higher data rate (~50Mbps).

 It does not support isochronous transmission, such as voice or video, which

requires low and constant delay.

 Note: Isochronous transmission is a method of transmission for real time data

like voice and video.

38
 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
 ATM is a cell-relay technology, which uses small fixed-size frames known as
cells.
 Constant length = 53 bytes
 Provides both variable bit rate (VBR) service that is optimum for data
transmission and constant bit rate (CBR) service for voice and video
applications
 Note: CBR is not available in frame relay technology.
 ATM defines the structure of cells, continuous transfer of cells and cell
switching

39
 ATM cont’d…
 ATM cells are packed into an SDH frame (STM-1) or into SONET frame and
then the physical data rate may reach 155Mbps or higher.

 ATM provides the benefits of circuit and packet switched networks

 This allows all types of traffic to be integrated onto a single network

 Many network operators use ATM technology in their core network

 The switches in ATM networks are usually configured to provide semi-

permanent data connections.

40
 Concept of ATM
 It is a connection oriented service over a virtual circuit where data stream
from origin to destination follows the same path.

 Data from different connections is distinguished by means of virtual path

identifier (VPI) and virtual channel identifier (VCI).

 Virtual channel (VC): identifies a single connection

 Virtual path (VP): identifies a group of virtual channels

41
 Advantages of ATM
 Wider array of information can be transmitted:
• Voice, video, data, images, video conferencing …
 It delivers bandwidth on demand
• It is not dependent on applications and works at a data rate from 1.5Mpbs to
2Gbps
 All types of networking
• From LANs to WANs and from backbone to desktop can be integrated by ATM
technology
 The service is connection oriented with data transferred over a virtual circuit
 ATM switches are statistical multiplexing
 Higher quality of services
 Accepts variety of transmission media
• Optical or twisted pair cable
 And so on …
42
43