Active networks in telephony

DARPA and the NSF are encouraging research on active router networks. By applying these concepts to telephony we: create a commodity, other than bandwidth, that a telephone network owner can sell; create new businesses for both equipment manufacturers and for network providers; provide local access with a distinct advantage over the current local operating companies; integrate the telephone network with the Internet so that traffic can move between the two; make it easier to assimilate new technology into the telephone network; and increase the rate of change in networks by reducing the need for standard protocols. To show the effect of active networks, the telephone network is divided into three layers corresponding to the user, the network manager, and the network owner. We give specific examples of the services and devices that are enabled at each layer.