The
public switched telephone network (
PSTN) is the aggregate of the world's
circuit-switched telephone networks that are operated by national, regional, or local
telephony operators, providing
infrastructure and services for public
telecommunication. The PSTN consists of
telephone lines,
fiber optic cables,
microwave transmission links,
cellular networks,
communications satellites, and
undersea telephone cables, all interconnected by
switching centers, thus allowing most telephones to communicate with each other. Originally a network of fixed-line
analog telephone systems, the PSTN is now almost entirely
digital in its
core network and includes
mobile and other networks, as well as fixed telephones.