What is the difference between the Softswitch technology and the Next Generation Network NGN?

The Softswitch technology is still quite common. So I have studied the differences between the Softswitch technology and the Next Generation Network NGN. I would like to share with you here and hope it will be useful to you. The Next Generation Network (NGN) is a hot topic in the telecom industry. It is under the increasing business volume, business types, and increasingly fierce market competition.

The telecom industry tries to use the latest technology to adapt to this situation and proposes the overall idea and idea of the next network development. At present, NGN is not strictly defined, so some people always confuse the networking of Softswitch technology with NGN, but in fact, NGN has a more extensive connotation. At present, the SG13 and SG11 groups of ITU-T are carrying out research on NGN, but there is no clear definition yet, but the main characteristics of NGN are summarized as follows:

1) group-based transmission;

2) control functions and bearer capabilities, call/meeting, and application/business separation;

3) services are separated from networks and open interfaces are provided;

4) supports a wide range of businesses, including real-time/stream/non-real-time and multimedia services;

5) provides end-to-end transparent transmission of broadband;

6) interworking with existing traditional networks;

7) having universal mobility, that is, allowing users to consistently use and manage their businesses as individuals without any access technology;

8) provides users with the ability to freely select service providers.

From the perspective of operation and profit, NGN should also be safe and reliable, ensure service quality, controllable management, O & M, and profitable. It can be seen that the next-generation network involves a wide range of content, and people of different professions and backgrounds are applying it. It is not limited to the softswitch system. There should be many differences between the softswitch networking and NGN.

1. Different services are implemented.

Currently, the services provided by the Softswitch technology are all call-based telephone, fax, video, multimedia, and value-added services. When these services occur, call signaling must go through SoftSwitch, by using Softswitch, you can record the call events and generate a ticket to the billing Center for billing. Other services, such as streaming media (VOD), video broadcast, video monitoring, video conferencing, distance learning, interactive games, etc.), online services, and data services, currently, it is not provided by Softswitch, nor does it provide management functions for these business users and businesses. These services are controlled and managed by various business servers or business platforms after the user's LAN is connected to the man to provide services to the user. However, the ideal NGN should be a network that provides all services.

2. Different network architectures

At present, the main feature of Softswitch technology is the use of ATM/IP network for information transmission, the call control function of the traditional circuit switch, media bearer function, business function is separated, softswitch no longer processes the attributes of media streams and services, but is only responsible for basic call control and related attributes. User Access is completed by various user gateways, such as MGCP, h.248 integrated access device (IAD) is responsible for calling General telephone users under the control of softswitch. The SIP terminal completes multimedia user access under the control of SoftSwitch and relay Gateway (TG) the media communication with the traditional circuit switching network is completed under the control of softswitch, And the signaling gateway is responsible for completing the intercommunication between the softswitch and the No. 7 signaling network. Various application servers provide corresponding application business logic to complete various business control. In addition to services provided by Softswitch, NGN also provides other services. Therefore, it also requires other servers to control and manage these services. At present, there is no definition of the Framework Structure of NGN. Therefore, the relationship between these servers or platforms and Softswitch is established on a physical platform or a distributed physical structure, which cannot be determined yet.

3. Access Control for Network Services

Softswitch is a control device for network services. Therefore, all calls should be connected by SoftSwitch. Softswitch monitors the establishment, call, and release of calls and records the call process, generate the information required for billing. If the call between terminals is directly performed between terminals without passing through the Softswitch technology, then the softswitch will not know the call process, and the operator will not be able to manage and charge the call. In addition, even if the call is subject to Softswitch control, if the business category of the call establishment application does not match the business category transmitted in the IP network, for example, the application is for voice services, however, in the IP network, voice and video services are transmitted, because the network control mechanism cannot be fully controlled after the control and bearer separation of Softswitch is realized. The cause of this problem is that the IP network is a transmission network that provides multi-service and multi-protocol. The IP network is only responsible for the transmission of IP packets and does not know the high-level business category of the transmission, therefore, the current Softswitch technology uses the network mechanism of the IP network transmission service and lacks network control and management.

Circuit Switching Networks are secure, manageable, and controllable because circuit switching networks only provide single-language fax services and data services as well as voice-based services ), in addition, the user access network must pass through a local switch, so the local switch can manage and control user calls ).

The bearer network of the Next Generation Network is a network that guarantees quality and charges fees. It is different from the free Internet. Therefore, the next generation network must be managed and controlled at the telecom level, provides control and management capabilities for similar circuit switching networks, this allows operators to use such networks to control, manage, and accurately charge each call of users, and to charge for the transmission of each byte of information ), instead of simply charging users with some access fees. In this way, operators can gain benefits, and users can also obtain high-quality services, so that the network can develop smoothly.