Transcoding/Media Adaptation

The inherent flexibility of IP enables multiple methods for delivering VoIP and multimedia sessions across provider networks, creating interworking challenges at network borders. GENBAND, a pioneer in session border control and IP media adaptation, provides scalable, carrier class solutions to ensure high quality, highly interoperable communications between IP network borders.

Fixed and mobile access networks are often bandwidth-constrained, driving the use of different, high complexity codecs to optimize bandwidth efficiency. Traditional approaches for addressing IP-to-IP border incompatibilities include the use of media gateways as an intermediary step to transcode each IP session to and from a common media format, typically TDM G.711. However, this method – and the introduction of additional elements in the media processing path – can yield voice quality impairments by adding delay, loss and processing artifacts.

GENBAND's S3 Session Border Controller and S2 and S9 Integrated Border Gateways (IBG) control and invoke IP to IP transcoding at the borders of the IP network, while the C3 Signaling Controller and G9 Converged Gateway work together to provide centralized or distributed transcoding and media adaptation for carrier IP networks.

The powerful, state-of-the-art DSP resources of the G9 make it an efficient transcoding media resource processor for high-complexity mobile codecs like AMR and EVRC, as well as fixed network codecs like G.723 and G.729. The G9 can also provide a variety of voice quality enhancement features for packet-to-packet network applications when transcoding is not required.