hop off

A hop-off is a handover point in a telecommunications network. It is the point at which the signal or signaling passes from one network to another. For example, the signal from a cell phone can pass from the cellular mobile network to a provider 's fixed network at the hop-off.

Conversely, a signal from the fixed network of a large operator can also pass at the hop-off to that of a smaller provider or to the PBX of a company.

In VoIP, the hop-off is typically a gateway where all calls from H.323 are transferred to another network using other protocols. In Internet telephony, the hop-off performs important functions, namely the necessary initiation and termination of calls made from non-H.323 devices, such as conventional telephones and cell phones.