Even though IP-based communications is rapidly replacing traditional landline phones, interconnection between service providers almost always takes place over the public switch telephone networks (PSTN). Every carrier has to interconnect with every other carrier, and the IP traffic has to be switched to time-division multiplexing (TDM) at every interconnect point. A time, money and resource intensive process that needs to be eliminated. If the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and SIP Forum have their way, it will be happening sooner than later.

Both organizations announced the completion of the first standardized IP-based network-to-network interconnection (NNI) that has been agreed upon by North American Service providers. This agreement is the first step in having a platform that eliminates the traditional interconnect system still being used today. If all goes according to plan, all service connection between providers will be taking place at the Internet Protocol (IP) level.

The long and arduous process was spearheaded by the ATIS (News - Alert)/SIP Forum Joint Task Force. After evaluating the current state of IP-IP interconnection and identifying the challenges facing the transition, the task force provided detailed protocol level specifications to start developing solutions.

Having an all IP network will create new services that will take advantage of the efficiencies introduced by this development. This includes high-definition voice, point-to-point video calling and multimedia text across wireless, wireline and cable providers. Once it is fully adopted, real-time communications over an all IP infrastructure can take place between any two connected devices without issues of compatibility.

“By simplifying IP interconnection for voice and making it easier to set up IP services, the groundwork is in place for delivering ubiquitous advanced real-time communications,” said ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller.

According to the FCC (News - Alert), IP-based interoperability will provide:

• A very resilient and durable interconnection environment as the basic backbone for interoperable networks.
• Scalability with the ability to expand or reduce the populace of users or talk groups.
• An open access architecture that will ease the transition of devices from legacy to next generation networks without noticeable impact, which will eliminate interoperability issues based on funding, equipment inventory, or version.
• A flexibility that will allow all "Internet-capable" services, functions, and applications to be integrated across all of the networks, because the only interface between networks occurs at a common network level.

The investment in IP interconnection is going to be expensive, time consuming, litigious and there is still the strong commercial incentive to keep interconnecting in TDM. But once all the hurdles are overcome, it will usher in a new era of efficiency and new generation services in the communications sector.