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== Risks == |
== Risks == |
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| − | "The telecommunications infrastructure of the public switched network is likely to be less robust than the Internet. Although the long-haul telecommunications infrastructure is capable of dealing with single-point |
+ | "The [[telecommunications infrastructure]] of the [[public switched network]] is likely to be less robust than the [[Internet]]. Although the long-haul [[telecommunications infrastructure]] is capable of dealing with [[single-point failure]]s (and perhaps even [[double-point failure]]s) in major [[switching center]]s, the physical [[redundancy]] in that [[infrastructure]] is finite, and damaging a relatively small number of major [[switching center]]s for [[long-distance telecommunication]]s could result in a fracturing of the United States into disconnected regions. Particular localities may be disrupted for a considerable length of time. . . . Note also that many supposedly independent [[circuit]]s are trenched together in the physical trenches along certain highway and rail rights-of-way, and thus these [[conduit]]s constitute not just "choke points" but rather "choke routes" that are hundreds of miles long and that could be attacked anywhere."<ref>[[Information Technology for Counterterrorism: Immediate Actions and Future Possibilities]], at 18.</ref> |
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| + | == References == |
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== Source == |
== Source == |
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Latest revision as of 05:04, 29 April 2016
Definition[]
The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the worldwide collection of interconnected public telephone networks that was designed primarily for voice traffic.
Overview[]
The PSTN is a circuit-switched network, in which a dedicated circuit (also referred to as a channel) is established for the duration of a transmission, such as a telephone call.
Risks[]
"The telecommunications infrastructure of the public switched network is likely to be less robust than the Internet. Although the long-haul telecommunications infrastructure is capable of dealing with single-point failures (and perhaps even double-point failures) in major switching centers, the physical redundancy in that infrastructure is finite, and damaging a relatively small number of major switching centers for long-distance telecommunications could result in a fracturing of the United States into disconnected regions. Particular localities may be disrupted for a considerable length of time. . . . Note also that many supposedly independent circuits are trenched together in the physical trenches along certain highway and rail rights-of-way, and thus these conduits constitute not just "choke points" but rather "choke routes" that are hundreds of miles long and that could be attacked anywhere."[1]
References[]
Source[]
- The Broadband Availability Gap, OBI Technical Paper No 1, Glossary, at 135 (full-text).