The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a traditional telephone network used to connect people all over the world with each other through landlines. It uses a series of wires, switches, and other technology to provide communication between two or more individuals located at different locations. PSTN technology has been around for decades, but it still plays an important role in today’s communications, allowing for voice and video calls, as well as text messages. In this article, we will explore what PSTN is and how it works so that you can better understand how it facilitates communication today.
Overview of the PSTN System
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is the traditional telephone system used to connect people all over the world with each other through landlines. It works by using a series of physical and virtual components, including wires, switches, and other technologies. This network is responsible for providing communication between two or more individuals located at different locations. PSTN technology has been around for decades and is still an important part of today’s communication infrastructure, as it allows for voice and video calls, as well as text messaging.
Components of the PSTN Network
The components of the PSTN network can be divided into two categories: physical and virtual components. Physical components include telephone cables and wires, central office switches, local loop lines, and customer premise equipment. Virtual components include signaling systems, billing systems, routing algorithms, and data transmission protocols. All these components work together to provide users with reliable communication services.
The central office switch is the heart of the PSTN system. It processes all incoming calls from any location in the world and connects them to their desired recipients. It also maintains a database of phone numbers associated with customers so that their calls can be routed properly. Additionally, it stores a record of all outgoing calls made by customers in order to bill them accurately.
Local loop lines are used to connect individual customer premises to the central office switch. They consist of copper wires or fiber optic cables that are laid underground or overhead between two points in order to physically connect them together. Customer premises equipment (CPE) consists of devices such as telephones, modems, fax machines, and answering machines that are installed at each customer’s residence or business in order to interface with the PSTN system for various types of communication services.
How Voice Calls Are Connected Via PSTN
When someone makes a voice call via PSTN, their voice is converted into an electrical signal which is sent through these physical components such as wires and switches until it reaches its destination point. This process is known as circuit switching because an entire line is dedicated solely to this one call at any given time until it comes to an end or gets disconnected prematurely by either party involved in this call. Upon reaching its target point, the signal gets converted back into audio format so that it can be heard on both ends of the call via speakers or headphones connected to a telephone device or handset.
Data Transmission Services on the PSTN Network
The PSTN network also provides data transmission services for digital devices such as computers over landline connections using technologies such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). These technologies break down digital data into small packets before sending them across different nodes in the network so that they can be reassembled correctly upon reaching their destination point without any loss in quality or speed.
