PSTN¶
Public Switched Telephone Network
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the aggregate of the
world's circuit-switched telephone networks that are operated by
national, regional, or local telephony operators, providing
infrastructure and services for public telecommunication.\
The PSTN consists of telephone lines, fiber optic cables, microwave
transmission links, cellular networks, communications satellites, and
undersea telephone cables, all interconnected by switching centers, thus
allowing most telephones to communicate with each other.\
Originally a network of fixed-line analog telephone systems, the PSTN is
now almost entirely digital in its core network and includes mobile and
other networks, as well as fixed telephones\