What is "qsig"

QSIG is an ISDN based signaling protocol for signaling between private branch exchanges (PBXs) in a private integrated services network (PISN). It makes use of the connection-level Q.931 protocol and the application-level ROSE protocol. ISDN "proper" functions as the physical link layer.

QSIG was originally developed by Ecma International, adopted by ETSI and is defined by a set of ISO standard documents, so is not owned by any company. This allows interoperability between communications platforms provided by disparate vendors.

QSIG has two layers, called BC (basic call) and GF (generic function). QSIG BC describes how to set up calls between PBXs. QSIG GF provides supplementary services for large-scale corporate, educational, and government networks, such as line identification, call intrusion and call forwarding. Thus for a large or very distributed company that requires multiple PBXs, users can receive the same services across the network and be unaware of the switch that their telephone is connected to. This greatly eases the problems of management of large networks.

QSIG will likely never rival each vendor's private network protocols, but it does provide an option for a higher level of integration than that of the traditional choices.