Upgrade Will Improve Performance, Reliability, and Cost at 39 Convention Centers
In a move that promises to set the standard for phone service in convention centers across the country, Smart City Networks, the nation’s leading telecommunications provider for the convention industry, has embarked on a process to convert phone lines at 39 convention centers and venues to SIP trunking in the next year. While not the in demand technology in the current industry landscape, phone service in public assembly areas can play a key role in emergency response situations as was the case in Houston with Hurricane Harvey and New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina.
The project, which is about 60 percent complete, is replacing existing phone lines using Primary Rate Interface (PRI) trunking – a dedicated line for only voice transmission – with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking.
Trunking refers to the method used in data communications transmission systems that allows multiple people to access the network simultaneously by sharing multiple lines. This system utilizes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), allowing the lines to be used for data and voice.
SIP trunking improves the reliability of the phone systems, because it can utilize other automated redundancy features Smart City has built into its networks to reduce or eliminate downtime. This is unlike PRI trunks, which have limited automated redundancy, requiring additional hardware and knowledgeable PBX technicians.
However, the most noticeable benefits to the facility managers in Smart City facilities will be the seamless communication provided by this modern, digital approach, and the significant cost savings to convention centers when SIP trunking is implemented.
“We’re dedicated to providing our customers with the most reliable, and user-friendly telecommunications services,” said Mark Haley, President of Smart City Networks. “This is an important project that is going to make a major difference to the facility managers we work with in our convention centers and venues.”
The conversion is expected to be completed within 3rd quarter of 2017.