Method and apparatus for network communication

1. A method of enhanced tandem communication between at least a first portion of a network suitable for voice communications and a second portion of a network suitable for voice communications, characterised by the step of;

transmitting from the first portion of a network two representations of an encoded signal, the encoded signal produced by a codec of the first portion of a network (hereinafter ‘first codec’), the two representations respectively comprising;

i. the encoded signal produced by the first codec (hereinafter ‘first encoded signal’); and

ii. a parameter translation of the first encoded signal into an encoded signal compatible with a single common compressed voice codec (CCVC) format (hereinafter ‘common encoded signal’).

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of a network suitable for voice communications and the second portion of a network suitable for voice communications are part of the same overall network.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of;

transmitting the two representations of the encoded signal to the second portion of a network via a wired link.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the wired link is part of a public switched telephone network.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein an identifier unique to the type of the first codec is also transmitted.

6. A method of enhanced tandem communication between at least a first portion of a network suitable for voice communications and a second portion of a network suitable for voice communications, characterised by the steps of;

receiving from the first portion of a network two representations of an encoded signal, the encoded signal produced by a codec of the first portion of a network (hereinafter ‘first codec’), the two representations respectively comprising;

i. the encoded signal produced by the first codec (hereinafter ‘first encoded signal’); and

ii. a parameter translation of the first encoded signal into an encoded signal compatible with a single common compressed voice codec (CCVC) format (hereinafter ‘common encoded signal’); and determining whether the first codec is compatible with a codec of the second portion of a network (hereinafter ‘second codec’).

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the determination comprises comparing a unique codec type identifier also received from the first portion of a network with a unique codec type identifier for the second codec.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein if the first and second codecs are determined to be compatible, then the first encoded signal is selected for further transmission by the second portion of the network.

9. A method according to claim 6 wherein if the first and second codecs are determined not to be compatible, then a parameter translation of the common encoded signal into an encoded signal compatible with the second codec (hereinafter ‘second encoded signal’) is performed.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the second encoded signal is then selected for further transmission by the second portion of the network.

11. Apparatus for enhanced tandem communication between at least a first portion of a network suitable for voice communications and a second portion of a network suitable for voice communications according to a method as claimed in claim 6 , and comprising;

translation means for translating a common encoded signal into second encoded signal.