The purpose of this chapter is to introduce Signaling System No. 7 (SS7/C7) and give the reader an indication of how it affects the lives of nearly two billion people globally. The chapter begins by providing a brief introduction to the major services that SS7/C7 provides and explains how the protocol has been and will continue to be a key enabler of new telecommunication services. It concludes with an explanation of why SS7/C7 is a cornerstone of convergence.
SS7/C7 is the protocol suite that is employed globally, across telecommunications networks, to provide signaling; it is also a private, “behind the scenes,” packet-switched network, as well as a service platform. Being a signaling protocol, it provides the mechanisms to allow the telecommunication network elements to exchange control information.
AT&T developed SS7/C7 in 1975, and the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) [109] adopted it in 1980 as a worldwide standard. For more information on the standards bodies, see Chapter 2, “Standards.” Over the past quarter of a century, SS7 has undergone a number of revisions and has been continually enhanced to support services that are taken for granted on a daily basis.
SS7/C7 is the key enabler of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the integrated services digital network (ISDN), intelligent networks (INs), and public land mobile networks (PLMNs).
Each time you place and release a telephone call that extends beyond the local exchange, SS7/C7 signaling takes place to set up and reserve the dedicated network resources (trunk) for the call. At the end of the call, SS7/C7 takes action to return the resources to the network for future allocation.
TIP
Calls placed between subscribers who are connected to the same switch do not require the use of SS7/C7. These are known as intraoffice, intraexchange, or line-to-line calls.
Each time a cellular phone is powered up, SS7/C7-based transactions identify, authenticate, and register the subscriber. Before a cellular call can be made, further transactions check that the cellular phone is not stolen (network dependent option) and qualify permission to place the call (for example, the subscriber may be barred from International usage). In addition, the SS7/C7 network tracks the cellular subscriber to allow call delivery, as well as to allow a call that is already in progress to remain connected, even when the subscriber is mobile.
Although the average person typically uses SS7/C7 several times a day, it is largely unheard of by the general public because it is a “behind the scenes” private network—in stark contrast to IP. Another reason for its great transparency is its extreme reliability and resilience. For example, SS7/C7 equipment must make carrier grade quality standards—that is, 99.999 percent availability. The three prime ways it achieves an industry renowned robustness is by having a protocol that ensures reliable message delivery, self-healing capabilities, and an over-engineered physical network.
Typically, the links that comprise the network operate with a 20–40 percent loading and have full redundancy of network elements. SS7/C7 might well be the most robust and reliable network in existence.
SS7/C7 is possibly the most important element from a quality of service (QoS) perspective, as perceived by the subscriber.
NOTE
Here QoS refers to the quality of services as perceived by the subscriber. It should not be confused with QoS as it relates specifically to packet networks.
QoS is quickly becoming a key in differentiating between service providers. Customers are changing service providers at an increasing pace for QoS reasons, such as poor coverage, delays, dropped calls, incorrect billing, and other service-related impairments and faults. SS7/C7 impairments nearly always impact a subscriber’s QoS directly. A complete loss of signaling means a complete network outage, be it a cellular or fixed-line network. Even a wrongly-provisioned screening rule at a SS7/C7 node in a cellular network can prohibit subscribers from roaming internationally or sending text messages. A loss of one signaling link could potentially bring down thousands of calls. For this reason, the SS7/C7 network has been designed to be extremely robust and resilient.
Tags: SS7, C7, signaling, network, telecommunication
