Prepaid Calling Card
Prepaid and postpaid calling-card services represent one of the
fastest-growing types of enhanced voice services. A variety of consumer segments
have propelled the growth of these services, including students, business and
leisure travelers, and immigrants. They are especially popular among mobile
telephone users as an alternative to the costly international rates of mobile
operators. For carriers who want to realize more profit from a global
long-distance network, prepaid and postpaid calling-card services represent an
opportunity to improve margins, direct minutes to the
network, and increase customer retention. For service providers that currently
offer prepaid and postpaid calling-card services over a switched-circuit
network, Cisco IP telephony networks provide a more cost-effective alternative
for network expansions or upgrades.
Packet voice technology offers a compelling alternative to the
traditional TDM switched-circuit network. Packet telephony networks reduce the
cost and time-to-market requirements associated with launching or expanding
voice services, such as national and international transport, voice mail and
unified communications, text-to-speech, speech recognition, and calling-card
services. TDM-based services use a leased line and typically require a long-term
financial commitment to that specific link. A TDM switch also represents a
significant initial cash outlay and lengthy time period to achieve investment
payback. The need to accelerate investment payback leads some providers to add
fees for calling-card activation or connection, diminishing the service
marketability in the process.
Cisco offers a feature-rich product called Cisco Voice
Infrastructure and Applications (VIA) for prepaid and postpaid calling-card
services that is deployed via VoIP technology. Cisco VIA includes key features
and attributes such as:
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A telephony user interface similar to PSTN card services
applications
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Cost-efficiency in equipment and bandwidth
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Card recharging
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Balance transfer
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Personal identification number (PIN) change
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Support for multiple languages
Cisco VIA offers the following benefits:
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Lower infrastructure and operating costs compared to other
industry offerings
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Industry-leading voice quality, built-in reliability, and
scalability
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Architectural and protocol flexibility
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Ability for service providers of any size and location to
compete in the calling-card services market
In Figure B-7, Cisco
AS5xxx Access Servers allow calling-card
customers into the network from the PSTN. The authentication, authorization, and
accounting (AAA) server verifies the customer account status. When the account
status is authorized, the gatekeeper directs the call across the IP core network
to the remote router or gateway, and connects to the PSTN. The service provider
receives revenue for routing the call across the IP core.
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