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VoIP technology is changing the way we make long-distance phone calls. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data packets that are transmitted over the internet.
Why is this a good thing? VoIP services can turn your standard internet connection into a way to make free phone calls. With VoIP you can go around the phone company and avoid their service charges completely.
VoIP technology uses the internet's built-in packet-switching capabilities to provide phone service. VoIP has several advantages over traditional analog voice technology. For example, the use of packet switching allows several telephone calls to occupy the amount of "space" occupied by only one in an analog network.
To illustrate: a 'traditional' 10 minute phone call would use 10 full minutes of transmission time at a "resource cost" of 128 Kbps. With a VoIP service, that same 10 minute call may use only 3½ minutes of transmission time - at a cost of only 64 Kbps, and leaving another 64 Kbps free for that time, plus an additional 128 Kbps for the remaining 6½ minutes.
So you see, we could easily fit another three or four calls into the space used by a single call with the traditional system. And that example didn't even factor in the use of data compression, which further reduces the resource cost of each call.
The basics behind VoIP technology, its applications and potential growth.
This is a truly revolutionary technology with the potential to completely remake the world's phone system. VoIP providers like Skype have already been around for a while and are growing steadily. Major carriers are setting up VoIP calling plans in several markets around the US, and the FCC is looking at the future of VoIP service.
In fact, odds are good you are already using VoIP technology any time you place a long-distance call. Phone companies use VoIP every day - by routing phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway, they reduce their bandwidth and their costs. When the call is received by the gateway at the other end it is decompressed, reassembled and routed to the receiver.
There are three different types of VoIP service in common use today:
* Analog Telephone Adaptors (ATA) - ATA is just analog-to-digital converter. Currently it is the most common type of VoIP service, mainly because ATA allows you to connect a standard phone to your computer or your internet connection for use with VoIP.
ATA's are very easy to setup - simply plug your phone into the converter and your converter into the wall plug. With some providers, there may be software to install, but that's all there is to it.
* Purpose-built IP Phones - These look just like normal phones, but instead of having the standard connections IP phones have an ethernet connector.
IP phones connect directly to a router and come with all the hardware and software needed. Wi-Fi IP phones are also available from some vendors, subscribers can make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi hot spot.
* Computer-To-Computer - The easiest way to use VoIP services. Even long-distance calls are free. There are several companies offering free software that you can use for this type of VoIP. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers, a sound card and an internet connection.
This type of VoIP service works with all connection speeds, but a cable or DSL connection gives a better call quality during high-traffic times. Except for your normal monthly internet access, there is usually no charge for computer-to-computer calls.
The Forrester Research Group predicts that nearly 5 million US households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. Perhaps the biggest draws to VoIP for the home users that are making the switch are price and flexibility.
If you're interested in trying a VoIP service at home, check out some of the free VoIP software (See the Service Providers page). You can download one and set it up in less than five minutes. Get a friend to download the same software, and you can play with it to get a feel for how it works.
Most VoIP providers give for free the same features that normal phone companies charge extra for.
The average VoIP services include:
* Caller ID
* Call waiting
* Call transfer
* Repeat dial
* Voicemail
* Return last call
* Three-way or conference calling
More advanced options are available from some providers:
* Forward the call to a particular number
* Send the caller directly to voicemail
* Give the caller a busy signal
* Play a "not-in-service" message
* Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline
Not all VoIP services offer all of the features above - and some offer more than these. Prices and services vary by providers and location. But if you're interested, we have some specific vendor information on the Service Providers page.
The Future of VoIP
Experts agree that one day VoIP will replace traditional analog phone systems entirely.
It will take a while, but eventually all of the current circuit-switched networks will be replaced with packet-switching technology (more on packet switching and circuit switching on the next page). VoIP just makes sense, both economically and the infrastructure it requires. More and more businesses are installing VoIP systems, and the technology will continue to grow in popularity as it makes its way into our homes.
With VoIP, you can make a call from anywhere you have an internet connection. Since IP phones and ATAs send their information over the internet, they can be handled by the service provider anywhere that you can get a connection.
What that means is that when you travel, you can take your IP phone or ATA with you, and you'll always have access to your home phone!
An alternative to IP phones or ATAs is the softphone. A softphone is VoIP service software installed on a laptop. As long as you have a headset or a microphone, you can place calls from anywhere.
Okay - that's the scoop on VoIP services in general, on the next page we can look at the components that make the system work.
In order to understand how VoIP systems really work and how it's an improvement over the traditional analog phone system, it helps to first understand how that traditional phone system works....
Page 2 - The technical side of VoIP
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