NGN Networks: A New Enabling Technology or Just a Network Integration Solution?

Abstract

The Next Generation Networks (NGN) technology has been launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) as a method for establishing convergence of IP communications. This paper analyses the dynamics of Next Generation Networks (NGN) technology in implementing network convergence. The focus is given on the IP Multimedia Sub-system (IMS), the first NGN implementation. Description pivots around analysis of IMS internals, aiming at providing evidence that IMS is not just an integration solution but has potential to play the role of an overlay network architecture for future applications, as enabling technology.