VoIP Media Gateways

VoIP Media Gateways function as translation units between packet based networks and dissimilar telecommunications networks such as PSTN. VoIP gateways transmit voice data packets over PSTN using an E-carrier interface or a T-carrier system.

What is a VoIP media gateway?

This podcast discusses, in considerable detail, the four protocols used in VoIP media gateways, as well as what a media gateway itself is, what it does and how it works. If you've always wondered how VoIP works, this is your opportunity to tune in and learn about the technical underpinnings of this transformational technology.


VoIP Media Gateway Controllers

Media Gateway controllers, also known as "Call Agents", manage and control the gateway unit, while a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) is the protocol standard that bridges the network communications.

VoIP Media Gateways have been deployed to make the transition between VoIP and PSTN networks. After exploring this seemingly mature technology I discovered that the VoIP media gateways of tomorrow are not your Grampa’s gateway. While cost remains at the top of the product selection criteria, more and more functionality is being poured into the media gateway’s hardware and software features.

The standard gateway features list used to include things like voice, video, and fax decompression, call routing, signaling control, and packetization. More recently, we now see added features such as integrated SS7 inside the gateway and “any-to-any” signaling.

Media gateways are special gateways that are responsible for call origination, call detection, analog-to-digital conversion of voice, and creation of voice packets . In addition, media gateways have optional features, such as voice (analog and/or digital) compression, echo cancellation, silence suppression, and statistics gathering.