Author: Mikko Paavonen

Name of the thesis: Extending intelligent networks to the Internet

Date: 10 June, 1999
Number of pages: 64

Faculty: Electrical and Communications Engineering

Professorship: Communications Engineering Code: S-72

Supervisor: Seppo J. Halme

Instructor: Marko Suoknuuti

One of the major trends in telecommunications today is the growing importance of data transmission. In addition, differences in price between voice and data bits have created interest in carrying voice traffic in networks originally designed purely for data transmission.

Currently, there is intensive development of Internet telephony to challenge the dominant position of circuit switched telephony. The technology takes advantage of the openness, scalability and ubiquitous access of the Internet. However, in order to be useful, the technology has to interoperate smoothly with the existing circuit switched telephone networks and to provide the users with attractive services.

This work studies if intelligent networks could have a role in the convergence of Internet telephony and circuit switched telephone networks. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the possibility of providing Internet telephony users with added value by means of intelligent networks.

In addition, an Internet telephony system prototype that utilises intelligent networks has been implemented.