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ISDN FAQs

What is ISDN?

ISDN is an acronym for Integrated Services Digital Network. It is an internationally accepted standard for sending voice, data and signaling over existing copper wiring.

What is BRI or Basic Rate ISDN?

Basic Rate ISDN is Basic Rate Interface. It consists of up to three distinct channels on one pair of wires: one or two B (bearer) channels and one D (delta) channel. It is a digital dial-up line designed to overcome many of the deficiencies of traditional analog phone lines. Because ISDN is digital-not analog-there's no noise on the line to step-down your data or file transfers. With BRI ISDN, the same pair of wires that now delivers one communication-at-a-time basic phone service to business or residential customers provides two primary, high speed (64Kbps) communications channels that can be used simultaneously and independently to carry any combination of data, image, video or voice calls.

By combining these channels, data transfers up to 128Kbps may be achieved. BRI ISDN service also provides a third, auxiliary channel for low to moderate speed data communications, which is ideal for point of sale, remote monitoring or telemetry applications.

Do I Have to Buy a New Phone For My ISDN Line?

You can use your existing analog phone on your ISDN line but you will need an ISDN terminal adapter or other equipment to make it compatible with your digital dial-up ISDN line.

Will ENMRoPlateau Provide an ISDN Terminal Adapter for my ISDN line?

No. Terminal equipment is not included in the price of the service but Plateau may sell you certain ISDN Terminal Equipment.

What is the Minimum Equipment Standard?

Windows: 486 DX processor or higher, Windows NT 4.0, 95 or 98, 8Mb of RAM (16MB recommended), 256 SVGA (640 x 480), Double Speed CD-ROM drive or higher, 20Mb hard disk space.

Macintosh: 68030 processor or higher (Power PC recommended), System 7.1 or higher, 8Mb of RAM (16Mb recommended), 256 color monitor (640 x 480), Double Speed CD-ROM or higher, 25Mb hard disk space temporarily required during installation.

ENMR•Plateau Telecommunications cannot guarantee that service will be compatible with all system configurations.

What is a Service Profile Identifier?

Simply put, a Service Profile Identifier (SPID) is your ten-digit telephone number, with a suffix of 0100 that describes a specific ISDN device to the network. As an example, a typical SPID in the ENMRoPlateau exchanges will look like this: NPANXXXXXX0100. NPA is the area code. NXX is your prefix. XXXX is the last four digits of your telephone number. E.g. 57538912340100.

Why Do I Need a Service Profile Identifier?

Because it is technically possible to attach up to eight different devices with some 64 separate telephone numbers to a single ISDN line, there must be a way to identify each service device to both local switch and worldwide telephone networks.

What is the D Channel?

The D or Delta channel carries signaling and or packet data information, at speeds up to 16Kbps/second on basic rate service or Single Line ISDN Service from the customers premise to the central office. The D channel has both data and signaling functionality; it does not have voice capability. Having a separate D Channel allows you to have functions such as Caller ID service without using up bandwidth on the B channels, which would slow down your data calls.

What is the B Channel?

The B or Bearer channel carries circuit switched voice and/or data communications at speeds up to 64Kbps/second, from the customer premise, over loop facility, to the central office. Having two B channels lets you use the same line to place calls to two different places at the same time. For example, you can make or receive a voice call on the line while you remotely access your company's Local Area Network (LAN) or send a fax.

What is B Channel Circuit-switched Data?

Circuit-switched data provides the capability of making data calls over the public switched network. Information is transmitted the same way as digitized voice. Like a voice call, a circuit-switched data call ties up network/system resources for the duration of the call. Similar to voice, calling line identification functionality is provided.

ISDN BRI Requires an Additional Telephone Number:

However, if you use ISDN as an additional line and keep your existing analog phone line, you won't have to change your published phone number in the local phone directory.

Your ISDN Line Will Be Affected By Commercial Power Failure:

Unlike your existing analog telephone line and phone, ISDN phones are not powered to ring from ENMRoPlateau's telephone switching office. In other words, if there is a commercial power failure, your ISDN service won't work. You may want to buy a power back-up device for your ISDN phone equipment if it's essential for your ISDN line to work during a commercial power failure. Or you can use ISDN as an additional line and keep your existing analog phone line. (Your existing analog phone line will still ring during a commercial power failure since ringing current to your existing analog phone line is powered by ENMRoPlateau's switching office, which is protected from a commercial power failure).

ISDN Uses the Existing Copper Phone Line to Your Home or Business:

With BRI ISDN, you can get the data speeds you need without having to run coaxial cable or fiber optics.

ISDN is An End-To-End Digital Circuit:

You will get the specified data speed on your ISDN line only if there is a digital dial-up line on the receiving end of your file transfer. This won't always be the case. With an ISDN digital modem, you can send data to destinations that still use traditional analog phone lines, but it will be sent at a slower data speed.

Can I use ENMRoPlateau's ISDN to access Plateau Internet?

No. Presently, ENMRoPlateau's ISDN service is being sold as a data connection only.

Where Will ISDN BRI be Offered?

ENMRoPlateau Telecommunications offers ISDN BRI in all exchanges, subject to the configuration of the telephone network and provided you are within the 3-mile distance limitation.