CCITT Hierarchy Nomenclature

Quaternary center (highest ranking)             Class 1 Office
Tertiary center                                 Class 2 Office
Secondary                                       Class 3 Office
Primary                                         Class 4 Office
Local                                           Class 5 Office



Over the last decade, more and moer of the telephone switching environments
have been under the control of stored programs residing withing the realm
of ESS.  These switching systems are controlled by intricate software
modules exactly as any other sophisticated computers. The reprogramming
of these switching systems is relatively straightforward in light
of the requirements of the intelligent functions expected from the network.
For the circuit switching part of the facility, the existing #1ESS (introduced
in 1965 to local switching and to toll switching in 1970) and #1AESS 
(introduced in 1976 to local switching) have hte basic switching capacity
to switch and be programmed accordingly. However, the common channel signaling
aspects need to be upgraded to accommodate the intelligent network functions, 
especially those of the ISDN. The flexible and highly programmable
digital switches are key components in the distributed and intelligent networks.
        In Norht America, the advent of the more sophisticated ESS facility
(#5ESS) was a major step in the realization of intelligent networks.
Its modular hardware and software building blocks permit the capacity to
customize these switching systems to perform
the flexible and programmable functions with inherent mechanized intelligence.
The more recently introduced #5ESS switch will meet the CCITT requirements
for the (2B + D), (23B + D), and the (30B + D) rate interfaces.
        In Europe, the steady evolution of the switching systems 
(Ericsson, AXE10) for intelligent network functions has been well along
its way since 1984. The modularity for customization and for CCITT
signaling system No. 7, which facilitates the customer services integrated in the
network functions, has been incorporated into the newer switching systems
being built in Europe. These switches also provide for the (2B + D), 
(23B + D), and the (30B + D).