PSTN Abbreviation

Looking for PSTN abbreviation? We have got you covered in this guide. We have listed down different possible abbreviations of PSTN in various groups like Telecom, Technology, Business, Computing, Governmental, and News & Entertainment.

FullFormFactory is the largest source of abbreviations generated in different ways using AI and verified by our community. You can see all the abbreviations in different categories popularity-wise followed by the most popular abbreviation of PSTN in the image.

Popular abbreviations of PSTN:

Searching for PSTN abbreviation / PSTN full form leads to different results in different categories. The below table illustrates the popular acronyms among them.

You can download this image and share it on social media. If you are a website owner, you can add appropriate citations to use this PSTN full form, meaning image.

What does PSTN mean?

PSTN refers to the Public Switched Telephone Network. It is responsible for providing services and infrastructure for public telecommunications. It is a collection of circuit-switched networks working and operating at the regional, local and national levels.

The network consists of a large network of lines, fiber cables, satellites, microwave transmission links, cellular networks, etc. which are connected by switching centers for communication purposes.

With time, PSTN has turned into a completely digital network in its core terms including mobile networks and fixed telephone networks.

Components of PSTN

Switching is the central part of the PSTN. At different levels, various levels of switching take place. These are:

1. Local Exchange – it hooks up the subscribers into the network. Whenever a person dials a number, it reaches the local exchange and then it is linked to the subscriber.
2. Tandem office – it is an aggregation of several local exchanges within a large region and manages switches between various local exchanges.
3. Toll office – a collection of tandem offices is a toll office operating at the national level.
4. International gateways – it is for international switching, routing national calls to international destinations.

Working of PSTN

• The telephone converts the sound into electrical waves which are transferred to a terminal through wires which collect them and send them to the central office.
• The central office routes them through optic cables which carry them in the form of light pulses.
• This reaches the tandem office where it is converted back to its original form and then routed to the terminal.
• The terminal then routes it to the dialed number and electrical signals are again converted into sound waves.

Regulation of PSTN

Most countries have regulations for the Public Switched Telephone Networks within their span. They monitor the activities of PSTN and ensure that the prices are accurate and there are no monopolies. They may also change prices to regulate the traffic of these operators. Additionally, they make sure that the security of the users isn’t compromised.