Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

“Second Follow-up Paper”

By Kamakshi Samala

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) also called IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone or Voice over Broadband, means transmitting voice conversations over internet or IP based networks. It works in a different way to the normal telephone system of circuit switching but the VoIP uses a protocol called packet switching in which data is sent via the internet. In this system our voice is converted into thousands of packets. These packets are compressed and sent to the recipient and then reassembled. Therefore this system is referred as “a changing telephone world”. As this evolution is accelerating, traditional phone lines are slowly phasing out of both business and households and the world is slowly adopting the new and improving features of VOIP. However, in my opinion, it will take some time before users completely do away with that type of POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), Key Telephone System (KTS) and Private Branch Exchange (PBX) switching; all of which have the ability to squeeze multiple phone calls onto a single copper line.

There are several advantages of using VOIP and are as follows:

• Cost effectiveness – VoIP is more cost effective than the standard telephone system POTS. There are different types of VOIP systems available and the cost depends on both the service provider and the user. Some VOIP systems allow calls to those who only have VoIP running, while others allow users to call anyone who has a phone. PC to PC calls are free. PC to phone call cost more than PC to PC calls but usually cost less than half the price of the regular phone call. Therefore, there are significant monetary savings for the average business or home users making national or international calls.
• VoIP features include:
• 3-way calling, call forwarding, automatic redial, and caller ID; etc
• Incoming calls can be automatically routed to one’s VoIP phone
• Free phone numbers for use with VoIP are available in U.S.A., U.K, and other countries.
• Flexibility – VoIP makes communication easy for users across the globe. Examples of which are summarized below:
• Businesses employing call centers agents can work from anywhere in the world, e.g. Call centers agents in India can make/receive phone calls to USA.
• People using Instant Messenger based VOIP systems like Skype, MSN, Google talk, etc. can make or receive calls from anywhere in the world.
• People, who subscribe for phone line replacement services, can receive or make local calls regardless of their location.
• Integration - VoIP can integrate well with media or video data or with other services in the internet such as file sharing, video conversations and audio conferences.
• Convenience - The service of VoIP may not be as convenient as a cell phone, but it is usually less expensive and moreover it works in foreign countries where a cell phone may not work at all.

Even though VoIP has several advantages, there are some disadvantages that one might want to consider before investing in it. These are as follows:

• Sound quality - The digital data which is transmitted over the internet as packets may or may not be in the correct order when the recipient receives them. The recipient’s VOIP system reassembles the packets regardless of whichever order they arrive in. However, the real time nature of voice conversations means that if the packets arrive out of order, then it could result in silence for a second or two while the data is reassembled.
• The quality and reliability of the phone service in VoIP - This is totally reliant on the internet connection and any shortcoming with internet connection and ISP may affect the VoIP calls. However, VoIP systems are not totally reliant upon internet connections as they can also use regular telephone lines and business-grade connections like T1 for voice service.
• Security - Most of VoIP solutions do not support encryption. Therefore, it becomes easy to eavesdrop on the calls and also change their content.
• Power Outages – These make it difficult to make phone calls using a VoIP system.
• Latency, jitter problem, Packet loss, echoing, etc.
• Routing of Emergency calls (911 calls) - This cannot be easily directed to a nearby call center and are impossible on some VoIP systems. It also becomes difficult to track the person in case his/her phone is not registered.
• Sending faxes - Constraints in networking and software in some of the home systems make this task problematic.

Finally, I would say that VoIP is an emerging technology which still has loopholes. But today both business and residential customers prefer this to traditional phone lines because it’s a more cost effective alternative to other expensive forms of telecommunications. Today many telecommunications companies are looking forward for the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) which will merge Internet technologies with the mobile world, using VoIP infrastructure. Although there are disadvantages associated with using VOIP systems, I feel that these issues will become a thing of the past as VOIP technology matures.