Importance

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Abstract

The present invention provides a system for handling telecommunications signals passed between a first and second element of a telecommunications network, the first element having an interface for transmitting and receiving signals in a first protocol, and the second element having an interface for transmitting and receiving signals in a second protocol. The system of the present invention comprises a first interface unit for receiving a first telecommunications signal transmitted in one of said first and second protocols between said first and second elements, the first interface unit being arranged to separate traffic bearing channels from non-traffic bearing channels within the first telecommunications signal. A traffic management element is then provided for performing a cross-connection function to map the traffic bearing channels to the appropriate format for the other of said protocols, whilst a protocol conversion element is provided for performing predetermined protocol conversion steps on the non-traffic bearing channels in order to regenerate those non-traffic bearing channels in the other of said protocols. Further, a second interface unit is provided for combining the channels as output by the traffic management element and the protocol conversion element in order to create a second telecommunications signal in the other of said protocols, the second interface unit being arranged to output the second telecommunications signal. Preferably, said first protocol has a concentrated format, and said second protocol has an unconcentrated format.

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First Claim