Network and service interoperability is a fundamental business requirement for
all network operators' and service providers' services. Even as the operators look forward toward a next generation network (NGN) that will make extensive use of optical transport and IP protocols to lower operational costs while greatly improving their service delivery and creation capabilities, the fact of the matter is that the current public switched telephone network (PSTN) will be around for many years to come. Service providers thus will have to ensure that multiple, different signaling protocols (e.g., IP, SS#7, ATM, CDMA, GSM), different services (e.g., voice, data, and media streaming), and different connections (e.g., dedicated, dial-up, wireless, DSL, and cable modems) can be accommodated within their own networks for many years to come. Moreover, they must also provide end-to-end, high-quality services in conjunction with other service providers and network operators with whom they interconnect.

In this context, the gateways, session border controllers, and media servers become all-important aspects of maintaining service continuity—and their associated revenue streams—as network operators and service providers migrate to IP. Gateways operate to serve a specific network or protocol interworking requirement. They translate between two or more distinct protocols. Over time, gateways will assume more intelligent processing functionality that may result in a value-added application, such as information-based routing being deployed on a gateway and its media server.
The IETF defines the media gateway as a “network element (NE) that provides conversion between telephone circuits and data packets carried over the Internet and over other IP networks.”

The various types of gateways, media servers, and other NGN components analyzed in this study are defined in Table I-1.

Table I-1 - Gateway Definitions

Type

Description

Media Gateway

Provides switching and conversion of voice media paths between the PSTN and NGN/IP networks. Can be configured to provide intermachine trunk management (a.k.a., off-loading/ grooming).

Signaling Gateway

Used to interconnect different signaling networks, such as SCTP/IP-based signaling networks and SS#7 networks. The SGW performs signaling conversion both ways at the transport level between the SS#7 based transport of signaling and IP based transport of signaling, i.e., between Sigtran SCTP/IP and SS#7 MTP. The SGW does not interpret application layer (e.g., BICC, ISUP) messages.

CO Trunk Gateway

Offloads and diverts signaling traffic from Class 5/4 switches for Internet connections.

Enterprise Gateway

Devices act as gateways for SIP-based messages between the enterprise network and the NGN and often have the capability of adding security measures such as encryption and integrity protection to the IP-bound traffic, as well as provide interoperability between proprietary protocols used in PBXs, etc., with SS#7 and IP.

SIP Gateway

Connects to other SIP gateways of SIP connectors to provide SIP interoperability.

Session Boarder Controller

Provides overall control of the boundary between different service provider networks, providing signaling protocol inter-working between the SIP-based IMS network and other service provider networks, controlling the transport boundary between service provider networks.

Enhanced Services Gateway

Converts one or more protocols between enhanced services platforms: ISDN PRI/SS#7, ISDN PRI/IP.

Wireless Gateway

Provides interworking between the digital wireless networks including GSM and PCS in between GSM MAP and SS#7, on a country-by-country basis.

Hybrid Fiber Coax Gateway

Provides an interface between the PSTN and Packet Cable VoIP-based services offered by the CATV operators.

Least Cost Routing Gateway

Provides conversion for international callback services between countries or locations requiring gateways.

Internet Telephony Gateway

Provides conversion from PSTN voice to IP voice-over-packet backbone transports. Does not provide switching in manner as media gateway or softswitch.

GR-303 Gateway

Provides interworking for DSLAMs on local copper loops to access either the PSTN or the IP network over an ATM or IP interface using GR-303 specifications. Non-US access is referred as V.5.2, for which the same technology is transferred.

Media Server

Provides announcements, call progress tones, messaging capabilities in the NGN environment and interconnects with softswitch or media gateway.

It is important to realize that intelligent network (IN) applications long associated with the PSTN, such as pre paid and toll-free calling, must coexist with IP/SIP solutions for a very long time. To convert IN to IP/SIP would involve a total rewrite or replacement of all existing subscriber revenue-generating applications—and thereis no protocol conversion technique available today (and none visible in the future) that will provide a complete service translation between all the features used by IN applications and all the features used by IP. It is the gateways, session border controllers, and other NGN components that will provide this interoperability in the years ahead.

The companies that provide the telecommunications industry with its voice and data networking equipment are beginning to react to the increasing market opportunities surrounding the migration from legacy IN to NGN products and services—but how they are reacting and the types of solutions being offered are typically conditioned by where the vendor strength resides: in the core, the edge,or the premise. Regardless of whether the vendor comes from traditional telecom or from the data networking, however, what has created substantial buzz is the emerging IMS ........

Market Segmentation

Worldwide - By Geography
N. America
Europe/Mid East / Africa
Asia Pacific
Central America/Latin America

Gateway Forecast - by Geography
Unit Shipments
Revenue
Pricing
Media Server Shipments and Revenue Forecast - By Geography
Session Border Controller- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
SIP Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Enterprise Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Enhanced Services Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Wireless Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Internet Telephony Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Media Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
HFC Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Least Cost Routing Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
CO Switch Gateway - by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
GR-303 Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Signaling Gateway- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Media Server- by Geography
Units Shipped
Revenue
Wireline, Wireless, VoIP Signaling Transaction Volume
US Wireline Segment Size and SS#7 Transaction Growth
US Wireless Segment Size and SS#7 Transaction Growth
VoIP Segment Size and SIP Invite Transaction Growth