Softswitch

A softswitch (software switch) is a central device in a telecommunications network which connects telephone calls from one phone line to another, across a telecommunication network or the public Internet, entirely by means of software running on a general-purpose computer system. Most landline calls are routed by purpose-built electronic hardware; however, soft switches using general purpose servers and VoIP technology are becoming more popular.[1]

Many telecommunications networks now make use of combinations of softswitches and more traditional purpose-built hardware.

Although the term softswitch technically refers to any such device, it is more conventionally applied to a device that handles IP-to-IP phone calls, while the phrase "access server" or "media gateway" is used to refer to devices that either originate or terminate traditional "land line" (hard wired) phone calls. In practice, such devices can often do both. As a practical distinction, a Skype-to-Skype phone call is entirely IP (internet) based, and so uses a softswitch somewhere in the middle connecting the calling party with the called party. In contrast, access servers might take a mobile call or a call originating from a traditional phone line, convert it to IP traffic, then send it over the internet to another such device, which terminates the call by reversing the process and converting the Voice over IP call back to older circuit switched digital systems using traditional digital ISDN / PSTN protocols that transmit voice traffic using non-IP systems.

The Call Agent takes care of functions such as billing, call routing, signaling, call services and the like, supplying the functional logic to accomplish these telephony meta-tasks. A call agent may control several different media gateways in geographically dispersed areas via a TCP/IP link. It is also used to control the functions of media gateway, in order to connect with media as well as other interfaces. This procedure is utilized to keep the interfaces clear as crystal for receiving calls from any phone lines.[2]

The softswitch generally resides in a building owned by the telephone company called a telephone exchange (UK/IRL/AUS/NZ) or central office (US/CAN). The central office or telephone exchange has high capacity connections to carry calls to other offices owned by the telecommunication company and to other telecommunication companies via the PSTN.

Looking towards the end users from the switch, the softswitch may be connected to several access devices via TCP/IP network. These access devices can range from small and large Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATA) which provide from one to hundreds of Telephone Pairs to an Integrated Access Device (IAD), eMTA s (embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapters) using MGCP/NCS protocol over cable (VoCable) or PBX which may provide several hundred telephone connections

Note here that Analogue (ATA), PSTN telephone devices can only be reached by a softswitch that has embedded SS7 or SIGTRAN cards, software in terms of signalling AND Trunking Gateway for Voice traffic IP/TDM, TDM/IP, TDM/TDM functions.

Typically the larger access devices will be located in a building owned by the telecommunication company near to the customers they serve. Each end user can be connected to the IAD by a simple pair of copper wires.

The medium-sized devices and PBXs are most commonly used by business that locate them on their own premises, and single-line devices are mostly found at private residences.

At the turn of the 21st century with IP Multimedia Subsystem (or IMS), the Softswitch element is represented by the Media Gateway Controller (MGC) element, and the term "Softswitch" is rarely used in the IMS context. Rather, it is called an AGCF (Access Gateway Control Function).