End-to-End VoIP and Real-Time Multimedia Peering Across MSOs and Other Service Provider IP Networks

We first present the VoIP architecture based on available technologies for ENUM-based IP-address resolution of the E.164 telephone numbers, SIP signaling between the service provider VoIP servers, IP peering between the IP/MPLS networks and end-to-end QoS for the VoIP signaling and bearer traffic, and possibly call admission control. We then present the evolution of VoIP peering that is based on the standard IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture. It must be noted that many service providers that are adopting the IMS architecture and PacketCable 2.0 standards will be based on IMS standards and the appropriate cable extensions. Further, VoIP peering architecture can also be easily extended to other multimedia services. The scope of VoIP peering can be easily broadened to include IP connectivity to the networks of special service providers that offer hosting of VoIP services from basic connectivity to advanced features to IP address resolution that is crucial for VoIP connection between subscribers of multiple service providers.