IGF

A point of interconnection between an international carrier and a national carrier. An IGF commonly serves not only as a physical gate between the international and national networks, but also as a point-of-protocol conversion, perhaps interfacing an international E-carrier circuit to a domestic T-carrier circuit. The gateway also may serve as a point of media conversion, perhaps serving to interconnect a submarine fiber optic cable or satellite link to a microwave or copper wire circuit. See also carrier, media converter, network, and protocol converter.