Thanks, Ken. Seems like we have a whole bunch of initiatives and agreements being formed in the VoIP protocol interworking sector. Yours, plus one that was on pay per view news this morning concerning TIPHON/ETSI, ITU and IETF interworkings, and the one below involving LVLT and Bellcore that I obtained from Kevin O'Neill on the LVLT board.
Frank C.
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Monday November 16, 8:04 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Level 3 Communications, Inc.
Level 3 Communications, Bellcore Announce Merger
of Protocol Specifications for Voice Over IP
Companies See Rapid Adoption, Deployment of Protocol Standard for Next Generation Networks
OMAHA, Neb., and MORRISTOWN, N.J., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVLT -
news) and Bellcore today announced the merger of their respective technical specifications for a new protocol designed to
bridge between current circuit-based public switched telephone networks (PSTN) and emerging Internet Protocol (IP)
technology based networks.
The merged specification, to be called the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), represents a combination of the Internet
Protocol Device Control (IPDC) specification developed by a consortium formed by Level 3 and made up of leading
communications hardware and software companies, and the Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP), developed by
Bellcore and Cisco Systems. The MGCP specification is available without a fee to service providers and hardware and
software vendors interested in implementing it in their networks and equipment.
The Best of Newer IP Networks & the PSTN
The significance of MGCP is that it can provide customers with the best of both the traditional PSTN and the newer IP
technology networks. To do this, a new set of standards is needed that will allow the seamless integration of these two types of
networks. Such integration will enable customers to benefit from the lower cost of IP network services, including voice and fax,
without modifying existing telephone and fax equipment or dialing access codes. Level 3 plans to use MGCP in the
development of its own network and envisions many next-generation IP telephony service providers will soon require this
functionality in their own networks.
''Our goal is to use standards-based hardware and software to accelerate the integration of the PSTN with IP-based networks
such as ours,'' said Isaac Elliott, senior director of voice network engineering for Level 3 Communications and chair of the
Technical Advisory Council (TAC) that developed IPDC. ''Merging these two similar specifications provides a focal point for
the rapid adoption of a protocol standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).''
MGCP Defined
MGCP enables external control and management of data communications equipment operating at the edge of emerging
multi-service packet networks -- known as ''media gateways'' -- by software programs, which are known as ''call agents'' or
''media gateway controllers.'' Examples of media gateway devices include voice over IP gateways, voice over ATM gateways,
modem banks, cable modems and set-top boxes, soft PBXs, and circuit cross connects.
''The industry was faced with either picking one protocol or implementing both,'' said Christian Huitema, chief scientist, Internet
architecture laboratory at Bellcore. ''By merging the two proposals, we resolve the dilemma, provide a safer environment for
the manufacture of telephony gateways, and ensure the development of the call agent architecture.''
A draft of the MGCP specification was recently submitted to the SS7-Internet mailing list of the IETF as well as the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute Telecommunications & Internet Protocol Harmonization Over Networks (ETSI
TIPHON) working group for review and modification.
The MGCP specification draft is available on both the Level 3 Communications Web site at l3.com and the
Bellcore Web site at bellcore.com.
About Level 3 Communications, Inc.
Level 3 Communications, Inc., is a communications and information services company that is building the first international
network optimized for Internet Protocol technology. The Level 3 Network will combine both local and long distance networks,
connecting customers end-to-end across the U.S. and in Europe and Asia. The company expects to complete the U.S. intercity
portion of the network during the first quarter of 2001. In the interim, Level 3 has signed an agreement to lease a national
network over which it began to offer services in the third quarter of 1998. Level 3 will provide a full range of communications
services-including local, long distance, international and Internet services. Level 3's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq
National Market under the symbol LVLT. Its World Wide Web address is www.Level3.com.
About Bellcore
Bellcore, a SAIC company, is a leading provider of communications software, engineering, and consulting services based on
world-class research. Bellcore creates business solutions that make information technology work for telecommunications
carriers, business, and governments worldwide. More information about Bellcore can be found at bellcore.com or
by calling 1-800-521-CORE.
The statements made by Level 3 in this press release may be forward-looking in nature. Actual results may differ materially
from those projected in forward-looking statements. Level 3 believes that its primary risk factors include, but are not limited to:
substantial capital requirements, development of effective internal processes and systems; the ability to attract and retain high
quality employees; changes in the overall economy; technology; the number and size of competitors in its markets; law and
regulatory policy; and the mix of products and services offered in the company's target markets. Additional information
concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Statements in this release should be evaluated in light of these important factors.
SOURCE: Level 3 Communications, Inc.
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