A Signaling Framework for Multimedia Broadband Networks

Wide-spread provision of broadband multimedia services requires a powerful signaling system, which does not exist yet. Future signaling will have to support calls with several participants, several connections and heterogeneous terminals. This paper introduces a new framework for an overall signaling system designed to meet the requirements of multimedia services. An object-oriented call model allows the composition of complex multimedia calls. Three major innovations concern the control tasks in the network. The proposed approach uses condensed call and resource control, i.e. only a single network node is active for a single call. This simplifies control tasks and reduces coordination efforts. An additional resource control level supports calls with heterogeneous terminals by introducing special resources, like e.g. coding converters. Finally, signaling protocols for call control, resource control and bearer control are separated and independent. This offers the possibility to have individual providers for telecommunication services, special resource services and bearer services.