Preface. 1. The Confrontation. The Telephone Business. The Internet Business. The Confrontation. References. 2. Speech and Transport. Mean Opinion Scores and Quality. Frequency Spectrum of Speech. Digitization of Speech. Pauses in Speech. Speech Compression. Effects of Delay. Effects of Echo. Echo Control. Circuit-Switched Transport. Packet-Switched Transport. Other Telephony Service Impairments. Summary. References. 3. The Old Telephony. The Overall Network. The Telephone. The Local Loop and Inside Wiring. Interoffice Facilities and Fiber Optics. SONET Transmission Systems. The Local Exchange. The Tandem Exchange. Common Channel Signaling. Digital Loop Carrier Systems. Mobile Networks. The Interexchange Network. Routing. Operations. Summary. References. 4. Inside the Internet. How the Internet Is Organized. Protocol Principles. Internet Protocol Suite. Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4). IP Addressing. Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP). Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). Ethernet and Switched Ethernet. Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM and AAL 5). Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). Reservation Protocol (RSVP). Differentiated Services (DiffServ). Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP). Routing (RIP, OSPF, BGP). Domain Name Server (DNS). Reaching the Internet. Access Using Dial-Up Modems. Access Using DSL Systems. Access Using Cable Modems. Wireless Access. Internet Protocol Version 6 (Ipv6). Traffic. Security. Operations. Summary. References. @ CHAPTER = 5. The New Telephony. Transporting Voice. Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP). Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP). Network Time Protocol (NTP-3). Achieving Quality. Call Control. H. SIP. MEGACO. Summary. References. 6. Growing Pains. Goals for the New Telephony. Service Issues. Billing Issues. Customer Premise Equipment Issues. Location. Powering. Who Pays. Access Network Issues. Core Network Issues. Numbering and Addressing Issues. Quality Issues. Reliability. Operations Issues. Regulatory Issues. Lawlessness. Open Competition. Conclusions. References. 7. The Players and Their Games. Why Take Over Telephony? The Drivers of Change. Customers. Economic Climate. Finance. Regulatory Environment. Assets. Liabilities. Inertia. Responsiveness. Overall Drivers. Suppliers. Scenarios for the New Telephony. Business as Usual. The Telco Takeover. Top Down. Inside Out. Perfect Together. Dark Horses. Summary. References. 8. The Future. September 11. The Economy. The S-Shaped Curve. New Technologies. Conclusions. Acronyms. Index.

The telecommunications industry has been repeatedly turned upside down in the past few years -- and change continues unabated, in every respect: technology, business models, competition, and regulation. Now, one of the industry's most respected experts presents a systematic guide to the "new telephony": where telecom has come from, where it stands now, and above all, where it's headed. Telcordia principal and fellow Steven M. Walters offers exceptional insight into the current telecommunications "battlefield," comparing the strengths, weaknesses, and business models of traditional service providers and new providers focused on Internet technologies. The heart of the book is a comprehensive framework for evaluating any service provider's chances of success based on seven key indicators: financial muscle, current assets, current liabilities, corporate mindset, responsiveness to changing customer requirements, regulatory issues, and the overall economic environment. For everyone concerned about the future of the telecommunications industry and the next-generation voice services it may provide, including investors; telecommunications managers and staff; Internet ISPs; managers responsible for purchasing telecommunications services; and analysts.