GENBAND (News - Alert), a developer of next-generation IP infrastructure systems, has reportedly announced that its G9 Converged Gateway (News - Alert) has been enhanced to allow network convergence and feature transparency across multiple network types. 

The company has added new features and functions to the G9 platform for providing trunking and access connectivity for wireless as well as wireline networks. Service providers have a diverse mix of wireless and wireline core and access voice networks which are based on both IP and TDM technologies. 

Connecting networks and eventual convergence is complicated as each network needs a different interface and different gateway controller platforms, company officials said. 

“We understand the challenges that service providers face in connecting disparate networks,” Mehmet Balos (News - Alert), chief marketing officer at GENBAND, said. 

“Today the G9 is a leading media processing platform for service providers across the globe and, as a testament to its versatility, it has been designated as media gateway of choice for major equipment suppliers for wireless, wireline and converged networks,” Balos added. “Our new innovations to the G9 further enhance its versatility for wireless and wireline core and access networks, helping to interconnect networks in a cost effective way, and enable true network convergence.”

The new features included in the G9 are fixed trunking connectivity support for IMS/3GPP Mc and Mn interfaces; mobile support including binary H.248, NNSF, A and Iu interfaces over IP, and TrFO/TFO. It also features core network support including 3GPP Nb trunking interfaces and Virtual Media Gateway support that enables control of a single G9 from multiple call controllers.

The open interfaces in the G9 allow interoperability with wireless and wireline softswitches, access network controllers and IMS cores. This makes it suitable for various applications including Femtocells, Distributed MSC Gateway, and IP Transcoding. Along with GENBAND’s C3 (News - Alert) Gateway Controller, the G9 produces a “Class-Free” switching environment. 

This provides International VoIP, Class 4 Tandem and Class 5 Local Exchange consumer and business voice services with an open architecture of softswitch nodes, media gateways and standard interfaces.