t of the transcontinental munications are being adversely affected by the growth connection. CHAPTER 3.1 Data and voice traffic SS7 has long been a requirement for mainstream from a single location in real time. This eliminates the carriers but has been financially out of reach for many need for multiple licenses for SS7 products and fees for of the upstarts and growth carriers as a result of the each switch connection in the network. high cost of deployment and licensing. Traditionally, There are many different applications that handle SS7 has been managed by separate SS7 connections at access to the SS7 network. There are also several issues each point of presence (PoP), but this is an expensive to consider in choosing a solution. A key preference is for solution because of circuits and license fees from each an open standards-based architecture that includes fea- location. A distributed network architecture, a solution tures such as platform compatibility with third-party that involves running a quad 4-system configuration, database applications and a platform configuration tool offers a cost-saving solution. SS7 servers connect to (PCT) that can be used as a graphical interface to create two disparate signal transfer points (STPs) in different and manage multiple configurations. The SS7 application cities for continuous uptime. The SS7 signaling is should have the capability to be managed remotely pulled into the host and distributed using transmission through the same interfaces used to communicate with control protocol (TCP)/IP over a clear channel T1 the rest of the platform. SS7 and IP signaling should both WAN solution. The key advantage of this distributed be supported, thus enabling these services to run across SS7 solution lies in the ability to manage multiple sites convergent voice and data networks. Chapter 3.2 Network infrastructure Juanita Ellis, Charles Pursell and Joy Rahman One of the most important phases of a converged net- existent circuit-switching equipment and solutions for work is to ch