Internet Connections

2.Internet Connections over the Telephone Network and Telephone Calls over the Internet Network

Telephone Calls over the Internet Network

Another possibility of common utilisation of both networks is the transmission of telephone calls over the Internet network. This is an alternative that tries to raise the existing Internet network to a multipurpose network and to use it as a competitive network (i.e. as a network of another operator) simultaneously as the liberalisation in telecommunications is arriving. So far, advantages and disadvantages of this alternative have not yet been evaluated, neither the necessary costs that the Internet network would require for this application. It is also not clear, what the co-operation of different local networks in the world using various types of signalling methods over the common Internet network would be like.

Conditions of „Telephone Penetration“ into Internet

In principle, transmission of telephone calls over the Internet network is possible, however, in a very limited extent until now. It can be realised, for example, by connecting the counterpart (called) subscriber directly to the server. It cannot be expected that this type of connection could replace the telephone connections that would be comparable with the today’s common public national and international networks in which a possibility to interconnect a subscriber with another one is required.

Nevertheless, it is assumed, that in future the Internet network in its principle (naturally after being expanded and improved) could be used as a parallel transmission network, for example as a network of another operator to provide worldwide telephone connections.

The basic assumption to realise such network naturally would be that each public local telephone network (i.e. in fact all local networks in the world) becomes a sort of an access network to internet and the internet network serves as a world-wide transport network for the telephone connections without providing today’s characteristic properties and services. They would, naturally, be used for the Internet services. In order to provide regular telephone connections (with the quality and other parameters similar to that in a common telephone network), interposed devices at the point of connection of each public network would have to be attached to provide the following functions:

♦ Interface between the public and Internet networks, in particular with respect to the transmission parameters and necessary conversion of the speech signal (analogue or digital) into the packet form (and reverse conversion from the packet form on the opposite side of the connection) that is transmitted over the Internet network. In some cases compression of the speech signal could be used

♦ Necessary recalculations of Internet addresses, or name designations and telephone numbers according to the numbering plan of public networks (sometimes completely different)

♦ Access right control and the associated call tariffication according to the tariff regulations of individual operators of public networks. The tariff information would have to be collected and it would be used for reciprocal cost deductions of each operator. The standard connection cases (e. g. in case of international calls) would lead to the necessity to recognise at least three different tariff systems: two for the local network operators and one for the internet network operator. There are various tariff methods used for today’s traffic on internet (for example a uniform tariff, tariff depending on the time of connection or tariffs based on user groups).