Telecommunications Fundamentals

Course Description:

This comprehensive course provides you with an in-depth understanding of the current telecom landscape and how voice is migrating from a circuit- to a packet-switched network. You will learn how to evaluate existing technology options to determine which will best meet your organization's data and telephony requirements, from mature digital transport/access services to emerging voice and data services using voice over packet technologies.

Course Objectives

After completing the course, you will have an understanding of:

- Enterprise connections (VoIP Islands) to the PSTN
- Routing calls with ENUM
- Wireline and wireless providers
- Codecs and voice compression
- Wireless mediums such as FSO, mobile cellular, and satellite systems
- Using fiber for local loop connections
- Broadband services: DSL, FTTP, PONs, and FSANs
- 911 and E911 service comparison
- Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM)
- Different types of NATs
- VoIP defined including SIP, H.323, QoS, RTP, and NAT
- Carrier Data Services: Frame Relay, ATM, and MPLS
- Compare Ethernet services (E-Line vs. E-LAN)
- IPTV video technology
- 3G mobile wireless services (HSDPA, EV-DO, PoC)
- Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) service offerings
- WiMAX services and technology
- Functions and architecture of the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)

Who Should Attend

This course is essential if you are new to the industry, have experience in data networking, and are in the process of converging your telephony and data network infrastructures, or are responsible for implementing or supporting telephony services. This course is also highly recommended for voice professionals needing data training, and data professionals needing to know about voice over IP. It is also recommended for consultants, executives, IT managers, marketing/salesstaff, and network analysts, designers, engineers and technicians.

This course includes the following modules:

The Current State of the Telecom Industry

• Evolution of Analog Phone Service
• Circuit Switching
• The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
• Analog Telephone In-Band Signaling
• End-to-End Local Connections
• Signaling System 7 (SS7)
• Call Routing over a Long Distance Network Using SS7
• SS7 Architecture
• Enterprise Voice Connections
• Enterprise Connections to the PSTN
• Connecting VoIP Islands
• VoIP Networks
• Packet Network Signaling Protocols
• VoIP Trunking Services
• IP Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs)

Telecom Service Providers

• Market Phases of AT&T
• The U.S. Telecom Market: 1984 to 1996
• The U.S. Telecom Market: 1996 to Present
• The Telecom Act
• AT&T's Bid to Re-enter Local Service
• Local and Long Distance Carrier Acquisitions & Mergers
• Independent Carriers in the U.S.
• Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs): U.S. VoIP Market Share
• Multiple System Operators (MSOs)
• Mobile Wireless Operators
• GSM Mobile Wireless
• AT&T
• T-Mobile
• CDMA Mobile Wireless
• Sprint Nextel
• Verizon

Digitising Voice

• Frequency Ranges Related to Human Communication
• Human Speech Explained
• Digitizing Voice Signals Using Codecs
• Sample Rates for Digitizing Waveforms
• Coding the Signal
• Transmitting the Signal
• Decoding the Signal
• Voice Compression
• Synthesizing Speech
• Silence Compression (SC)

Communication Mediums and Multiplexing

• Communication Mediums
• Copper Mediums
• Fiber Mediums
• Multi-Mode Fiber Coupled with LEDs
• Single-Mode Fiber Coupled with Lasers
• Photo detectors
• Wireless Mediums
• Multiplexing
• Air Interfaces

Carrier Access: Carrier-to-Carrier Connections

• ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI)
• T1 (DS1)/E1 used for Digital Trunking
• Distance Limitations for Digital Signals
• T3 (DS3)/E3 used for High-speed Connections
• SONET/SDH Optical Network Connections
• Using Fiber connections for the Local Loop

Broadband Access

• Broadband Applications
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) Service
• FTTP
• Passive Optical Networks (PONs)
• Full Service Access Networks (FSANs)
• Cable Modem Service