Integrated Services

UNIT 3 INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL Digital Network (ISDN)

NETWORK (ISDN)
Structure Page Nos.
3.0 Introduction 25
3.1 Objectives 26
3.2 Baseband and Broadband Communication 26
3.3 ISDN services: BRI and PRI 27
3.4 Advantages of ISDN 28
3.5 ISDN Applications 29
3.6 Summary 31
3.7 Solutions/Answers 32

3.0 INTRODUCTION
ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network . It is an international
communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone
lines or normal telephone wires. This system allows data to be transmitted
simultaneously across the world using end-to-end digital connectivity.

The early phone network consisted of a pure analog system that connected telephone
users directly by an interconnection of wires. This system was very inefficient and
was very prone to breakdown and noise, and did not lend itself easily to long-distance
connections. Beginning 1960s, the telephone system gradually began converting its
internal connections to a packet-based, digital switching system. Still, the final
connection from the local central office to the customer equipment was, and still
largely is, an analog Plain -Old Telephone Service (POTS) line.

A standard movement was started by the International Telephone and Telegraph

Consultative Committee (CCITT), now known as the International
Telecommunications Union Telecom Sector (ITU-T). The ITU is a United Nations
organisation that coordinates and standardizes international telecommunications.
Original recommendations of ISDN were in CCITT Recommendation I.120 (1984)
which described some initial guidelines for implementing ISDN.

In the term ISDN:

• “Integrated Services” refers to ISDN’s ability to deliver two simultaneous
connections, in any combination of data, voice, video, and fax, over a single
line. Multiple devices can be attached to the line and used as needed. That
means an ISDN line can take care of most people’s complete communications
needs, without forcing the purchase of multiple analog phone lines at a much
higher transmission rate.

• “Digital” refers to its end-to-end digital transmission, as opposed to the analog

transmission of plain old telephone service. ISDN transmits data digitally,
resulting in a very clear transmission quality.

• “Network” refers to the fact that ISDN is not simply a point-to-point solution
like a leased line. ISDN networks extend from the local telephone exchange to
the remote user and include all of the telecommunications and switching
equipment in between. When you have ISDN, you can make connections
throughout the world to other ISDN equipment. If your ISDN equipment
includes analog capabilities, you can also connect to analog modems, fax

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Network Devices & machines, and telephones, even though they may be connected to plain old
Technology telephone service.

ISDN supports data transfer rates of 64 Kbps. Most ISDN lines offered by telephone
companies give two lines at once, called Bearer channels or B- channels. You can
use one line for voice and the other for data, or you can use both lines for data to give
you data rates of 128 Kbps, three times the data rate provided by today’s fastest
modems. Some switches limit B channels to a capacity of 56 Kbps. A data channel
(D channel) handles signalling low -speed packet mode data transfer at 16 Kbps or 64
Kbps, depending on the ISDN link location.

3.1 OBJECTIVES
After going though this unit, you should be able to:
• explain the term ISDN;
• differentiate between baseband and broadband communication;
• explain the types of ISDN services;
• discuss various advantages of ISDN, and
• explain the various applications of ISDN.

3.2 BASEBAND AND BROADBAND

COMMUNICATION
When the ISDN was originally designed, data rates of 64Kbps to 1.544 Mbps were
sufficient to handle all existing transmission needs. As applications using the
telecommunication network advanced, however, these rates proved inadequate. To
provide for the needs of the next generation of technology, called Broadband, ISDN
was developed which uses high-speed communication. The original version of ISDN
employs baseband transmission. Let us look at difference between the two.

Baseband communication

A type of digital data transmission in which each medium (wire) carries only one
signal, or channel, at a time. In contrast, broadband transmission enables a single wire
to carry multiple signals simultaneously.

Most communications involving computers uses baseband transmission. This includes

communications from the computer to devices (printers, monitors, and so on),
communications via modems, and the majority of networks . An exception is B-ISDN
networks, which use broadband transmission.

Broadband communication

A standard for transmitting voice, video and data at the same time over fiber optic
telephone lines. Broadband ISDN can support data rates in excess of few million bits
per second (bps).

The original version of ISDN employs baseband transmission. Another version, called
B-ISDN, uses broadband transmission and is able to support transmission rates of 1.5
Mbps and more.

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 Integrated Services
3.3 ISDN SERVICES Digital Network (ISDN)

There are two basic types of ISDN interfaces:

• Basic Rate Interface (BRI), and
• Primary Rate Interface (PRI).

BRI consists of two 64 kbps B channels and one 16 kbps D channel for a total of 144
kbps. This basic service is intended to meet the needs of most individual users. BRI
service is by far the most common and is typically found in homes and businesses
alike.

H channels provide a way to aggregate B channels. They are implemented as:

• H0 = 384 kbps (6 B channels)

• H10 = 1472 kbps (23 B channels)
• H11 = 1536 kbps (24 B channels)
• H12 = 1920 kbps (30 B channels) - International (E1) only.

To access BRI service, it is nec essary to subscribe to an ISDN phone line. The only
limitation to access BRI service is that the customer must be within 18000 feet (about
3.4 miles or 5.5 km) of the telephone company central office for BRI service; beyond
that, expensive repeater devices are required, or ISDN service may not be available at
all. Customers will also need special equipment to communicate with the phone
company switch and with other ISDN devices. These devices include ISDN Terminal
Adapters and ISDN Routers.

In BRI service at an office or a home, the ISDN line consists of the same twisted pair
of wires traditionally used for analog telephones. Numerous ISDN devices can
connect to this single line.

The BRI line provides two types of ISDN communications channels

• Two “bearer service” B-channels, which carry data and services at 64 Kbps (or
2B channels i.e. 128 Kbps), and

• A single, 16 Kbps D-channel, which usually carries signalling and

administrative information used to set up and terminate calls.

Up to eight ISDN devices can be connected to a single BRI line, and can all share the
B-channels and D-channel. Individual devices are distinguished through the use of
multiple subscriber numbers, with a different ISDN number assigned to each device.
D-channel signals automatically route communications to the appropriate ISDN
device.

Although only two B-channels are available at any point in time, numerous other calls
may be put “on hold” via D-channel signalling, a feature referred to as “multiple call
appearances”.

PRI is intended for users with greater capacity requirements. Typically the channel
structure is 23 B channels plus one 64 kbps D channel for a total of 1536 kbps. (In
Europe, PRI consists of 30 B channels plus one 64 kbps D channel for a total of 1984
kbps. It is also possible to support multiple PRI lines with one 64kbps D channel
using Non-Facility Associated Signalling (NFAS).

The higher capacity PRI service is a central-site solution for extending applications to
large numbers of remote users, who communicate through their BRI connections.

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Network Devices & With its BRI and PRI services, ISDN has the flexibility to meet the bandwidth needs
Technology of a home office, branch office, or company headquarters. A small office can use
ISDN BRI to support all of its voice and data communications requirements. In a
larger office, multiple ISDN BRI lines can be divided among multiple users and
applications via a server or PBX. And users in a very large office can benefit from
ISDN PRI’s capacity to provide a large quantity of multiple B channels.

3.4 ADVANTAGES OF ISDN

There are many advantages of ISDN. In this section we will look at them.

• Speed : The modem was a big breakthrough in computer communications. It

allowed computers to communicate by converting their digital information into
an analog signal to travel through the public phone network. There is an upper
limit to the amount of information that an analog telephone line can hold.
Currently, it is about 56 kbps. Commonly available modems have a maximum
speed of 56 kbps, but are lim ited by the quality of the analog connection and
actual speed goes to about 45 kbps. ISDN is a replacement for plain old
telephone service, which was never designed to meet the needs of the
information age. ISDN allows multiple digital channels to be operated
simultaneously through the same regular phone wiring used for analog lines.
The major advantage here is that the telephone company’s switches can support
digital connections. Therefore, the same physical wiring can be used, but a
digital signal, instead of an analog signal, is transmitted across the line. You get
ISDN service from the same companies who provide telephone service, and you
use it to connect telephones, computers, and fax machines. The difference is
that you get much faster, much more dependable connections for voice, data,
fax, and even video - all through a single line. BRI ISDN, using a channel
aggregation protocol such as BONDING or Multilink-PPP, supports an
uncompressed data transfer speed of 128 kbps. In addition, the latency, or the
amount of time it takes for a communication to begin, on an ISDN line is
typically about half that of an analog line. You can plug an ISDN adapter into a
phone jack, like you would an analog modem, and get a much faster connection
with no “line noise.”

• Multiple Devices: Before the advent of ISDN, it was necessary to have a

phone line for each device that has to be used simultaneously. For example, one
line each was required for a telephone, fax, computer, bridge/router, and live
video conference system. Transferring a file to someone while talking on the
phone or seeing their live picture on a video screen would require several
potentially expensive phone lines. With ISDN, it has become possible to
combine many different digital data sources and have the information routed to
the proper destination. Since the line is digital, it is easier to reduce the noise
and interference while combining these signals. ISDN technically refers to a
specific set of digital services provided through a single, standard interface.
Without ISDN, distinct interfaces are required instead.

• Signalling: It provides a dedicated signal of channel which is common to all

B-Channels: This is called common Channelling Signalling. Instead of the
phone company sending a ring voltage signal to ring the bell in your phone (“In-
Band signal”), it sends a digital packet on a separate channel (“Out-of-Band
signal”). The Out-of-Band signal does not disturb established connections, and
call setup time is very fast. For example, a V.34 modem typically takes 30-60
seconds to establish a connection, whereas an ISDN call usually takes less than
2 seconds. The signalling also indicates who is calling, what type of call it is

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 (data/voice), and what number was dialled. Available ISDN phone equipment is Integrated Services
then capable of making intelligent decisions on how to direct the call. Digital Network (ISDN)

3.5 ISDN APPLICATIONS

There are many application of ISDN. In this section we will briefly describe about
some applications.
• Internet Access : Internet access is one of the most popular applications for
ISDN. Compared with even the fastest modem access, ISDN makes Web
graphics appear almost immediately, and can reduce download times by over
75%. ISDN can even provide advantages over shared, higher -bandwidth office
connections.

• Telephony: ISDN provides two exceptionally clear, all-digital telephone

connections per BRI line. Connections are established in 2 to 4 seconds, versus
the 10 to 30 seconds required for analog telephone connections. The digital
ISDN telephone sets include microprocessors that can drive features unavailable
in regular telephones, such as automated call-back and direct links to computer-
based call center applications. The savings in connection establishment time
alone can be extremely beneficial. Though 10 to 30 seconds doesn’t sound like
much, it can mount up quickly in large-scale phone centers. For example, USA,
today uses ISDN in its Maryland customer service center. The database links
provide the same benefits found in analog-fed CTI systems, but the reduction in
connect time has cut an average of 15 seconds each from more than a million
calls received each year – that’s a total savings of over 4,000 hours, the
equivalent of two full-time operators.

• Telecommuting: It is the latest buzzword in IT which is described as the

modern way of working from home. ISDN has made Telecommuting a reality.
With a single ISDN line and an ISDN adapter, telephone, and fax machine,
remote professionals can enjoy the same communications capabilities as office-
bound workers. Because of the high transmission speed, ISDN succeeds in
making remote LAN access seem very much like being locally attached to the
LAN. And because a single ISDN line can carry simultaneous data and analog
communications, such as telephone calls and faxes, one line can turn the home
desktop into an efficient, cost-effective communications center.

• Video Conferencing: ISDN also supports videoconferencing. One channel is

used for voice, and the other channel is used for the display of moving video
pictures. Thus the remote professionals can actually communicate face-to-face
with each other. Video conferencing is an emerging ISDN application that’s
growing fast in popularity, and ISDN is currently the only practical way of
making it happen. The ability to transmit quality video and voice across
distances used to require very expensive equipment, and costly leased lines, that
were justified only by the most rigorous needs in the largest of companies. And
because they depended on leased lines, those video conferencing solutions were
point-to-point; a headquarters facility could be linked to satellite facilities, for
example, but video conferencing on the scale of teleconferencing was simply
impractical.

ISDN, along with new, lower-cost hardware, is changing that - rapidly. Both desktop
video conferencing (where a participant joins from a PC equipped with ISDN, a video
camera, and a microphone), and conference room video conferencing (where more
sophisticated equipment such as remote control cameras allow group participation)
have become as easy to set up as voice conferencing. And because of ISDN’s
versatility, video conferences can include the sharing of documents, images, and other

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Network Devices & files with all participants, through file transfers or screen display. This capability is
Technology proving highly popular for workgroup collaboration, telecommuting, security and
surveillance, and dozens of highly innovative applications.

For general business use, ISDN video conferencing can make meetings much more
practical and productive. There is far less travel time and expense involved, as
participants no longer need to physically congregate. That also makes scheduling
much easier. And since participants are typically at their own offices, video
conferencing means everyone has access to their computers and file cabinets for
information during the meeting. Other people can also be called into the meeting as
needed.

• Education: “ Distance learning” can be thought of as telecommuting for

students. And just as ISDN has made telecommuting a reality for thousands of
professional workers, it is making distance learning a practicality for ground-
breaking public and private grade schools, high schools, and colleges
throughout North America. Computer-based, interactive voice, data, image, and
video can go a long way toward helping students who are unable to physically
visit a classroom to participate in the learning experience. For example, the
College of Education at Ohio State University links elementary schools in the
Appalachian region to the un iversity via ISDN, bringing advanced courses to
even the most remote locations. At Michigan's Upper Peninsula Intermediate
school district, student who formerly travelled up to 80 miles to school now
attend 11 local facilities to participate in a full rost er of classes, delivered by
ISDN. There are many additional examples of similar successful programs
throughout the U.S.

• Large-scale file transfers: As computer applications have become

increasingly graphically oriented, PC communications have the abilit y, more
than ever, to include the pictures, sounds, and even full-motion video that
enable people to show rather than just tell. Before ISDN, it wasn't practical to
communicate this way over distance - downloading a 1-megabyte file with even
the fastest modem takes several minutes. With ISDN's faster speed and
compression, it takes seconds.

If you've ever encountered a Web site that features a video clip you're supposed to
watch on your screen, you understand the limits of modems in multimedia
communications. With ISDN, however, multimedia is going to be practical. Many
organizations are beginning to turn to imaging systems to store documents, rather than
keeping endless files of paper. Once a document has been scanned, it is a graphical
file that can be viewed on a computer screen. To transmit it to someone requires the
bandwidth of ISDN, and ISDN is becoming very popular with publishers, banks,
photo agencies, hospitals, police departments, manufacturers, government agencies,
and countless other industry segments that are driven by digitally stored documents
that need to be sent to others.

+ Check Your Progress 1

1. Define ISDN.
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2. Differentiate between baseband and broadband communication. Integrated Services
…………………………………………………………………………………… Digital Network (ISDN)

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3. List down a few applications of ISDN.

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3.6 SUMMARY
In this unit we covered the following topics related to ISDN:
1. ISDN stands for Integrated services digital network. It is an international
communications standard for sending voice, video, and data over digital
telephone lines or normal telephone wires.

2. ISDN supports data transfer rates of 64 Kbps and its multiples. Most ISDN lines
offered by telephone companies give two lines at once, called Bearer channels
or B- channels.

3. Baseband communication is a type of digital data transmission in which each

medium (wire) carries only one signal, or channel, at a time.

4. Broadband communication is a standard for transmitting voice, video and data

at the same time over fiber optic telephone lines.

5. ISDN provides two types of services:

• Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and

• Primary Rate Interface (PRI).

6. Basic Rate Interface consists of two 64 kbps B channels and one 16 kbps D
channel for a total of 144 kbps.BRI service is by far the most common and is
typically found in homes and businesses alike.

7. Primary Rate Interface is intended for users with greater capacity requirements.
Typically the channel structure is 23 B channels plus one 64 kbps D channel for
a total of 1536 kbps. (In Europe, PRI consists of 30 B channels plus one 64 kbps
D channel for a total of 1984 kbps. It is also possible to support multiple PRI
lines with one 64kbps D channel using Non-Facility Associated Signalling
(NFAS).

8. ISDN is a replacement for plain old telephone service, which was never
designed to meet the needs of the information age. ISDN allows multiple digital
channels to be operated simultaneously through the same regular phone wiring
used for analog lines. The major advantage here is that the telephone company's
switches can support digital connections.

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Network Devices & 9. With ISDN, It has become possible to combine many different digital data
Technology sources and have the information routed to the proper destination.

3.7 SOLUTIONS/ANSWERS
Question 1:
ISDN stands for Integrated services digital network. It is an international
communications standar d for sending voice, video, and data over digital telephone
lines or normal telephone wires. This system allows data to be transmitted
simultaneously across the world using end-to-end digital connectivity.

Question 2:

1. Baseband communication: It is a type of digital data transmission in which each

medium (wire) carries only one signal, or channel, at a time. The original
version of ISDN employs baseband transmission.

2. Broadband communication: It is a standard for transmitting voice, video and

data at the same time over fiber optic telephone lines. Broadband ISDN can
support data rates of 1.5 million bits per second (bps), but it has not been widely
implemented. B-ISDN uses broadband transmission and is able to support
transmission rates of 1.5 Mbps.

Question 3:

A few applications of ISDN are:

1. Telephony
2. Fast internet access
3. Videoconferencing
4. Distance Education
5. Large-scale file transfers
6. Telecommuting.

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