SIGTRAN and Its Role in Next Generation Telecom

Early in 2003, with the global economy struggling, the telecom industry in dire straits, and carriers curtailing capital expenditure, the FCC announced regulatory changes as part of its Triennial Review. Carriers expressed concern about the uncertain state-to-state regulatory environment, not to mention the FCC's failure to eliminate line sharing. Nevertheless, carriers responded positively, announcing plans to expand their packet networks. Now, with the economy improving, carriers are moving forward. In fact, over the past six months, major carriers such as BT, Qwest, Time Warner, Sprint, SBC, Verizon, Bell Canada, and AT&T have announced major initiatives to build out their VoIP infrastructure and offer VoIP services.