What Is MGCP?

Date First Published: 9th June 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Internet Protocols

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 9/10

Learn more about what MGCP is in this article.

Stands for Media Gateway Control Protocol, MGCP is a protocol used for signalling and call control communications in VoIP telecommunication systems that uses its architecture to control media gateways connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The architecture was defined in RFC 2805 and is a method of providing telecommunication services using decomposed multimedia gateways to transmit phone calls between an IP network and a PSTN network.

It is the successor to the Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP) and the Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC). On the IP-based network, the voice communication is translated and a user uses voice communication that is equivalent to data communication on the internet. The voice is changed in the form of digital data and routed from the routers in a similar way to data communication.

Note:

Media gateways are translation devices that are used to convert different types of digital media protocols for the purpose of effective multimedia communication.

These media gateways include nodes where the call agent can make, modify, and remove links. The nodes automatically communicate with changes in the service state to the call agent. The call agent has the ability to inspect nodes as well as the links on endpoints. In addition, MGCP supports the reorganisation of common electronic voice communication to IP-based voice communication.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of MGCP

• It separates media processing and signal functions.
• It provides better throughput for call process systems.
• It provides more control for call processing.

• There is limited support.
• It is very complex for small applications.
• It is vulnerable to a single-point failure as it relies on call agents for communication.