What is VoIP? IP telephony FAQ.

[Stuart Wright]

VoIP is 'Voice over Internet Protocol'. It's a technology for transmitting ordinary telephone calls over the Internet using packetlinked routes. Also called IP telephony.
You need a PC hooked up to the 'net and ideally using broadband, a microphone and speakers. The Sennheiser PC135 is good combination headphone, microphone which plus into your PC via USB so you can use it in conjunction with your normal PC speakers (plugging the headset in deactivates the usual speaker output and mic input).

The VoIP software (e.g. Skype) allows you to speak to anyone else on the internet for free. The call quality is at least as good as with a normal phone.
This software usually allows you to call landline and mobile phones aswell and there is a charge for this, although it is usually far cheaper than the usual phone company rates.

[mucca_D]

Do remember that you don't have to have a PC to use VOIP services.

There are a number of Solutions in the market place that do not need a PC to run.

More an more routers are now coming equipped with not only RJ45 LAN ports but also standard phone connection to plug into you landline.

This give you the choice of making the call and routing it over the internet or the POTs (Plain Old Telephone service)

There also a number of devices that allow you to plug your standard phone into it and your internet connection on the other. This again give the choice or routing.

Companies like Vonage understand that to reach the bigger market (other than the techies) they need to sell boxed pre configured Solutions.

This is why you can walk into comet, buy a unit plug your phone line in and your router and bang instant VOIP.

There are going to be some very bug changes over the next 18 months with allot of big players fighting for the business.

Look at skype. Now there is a clever group. Lets get everyone using our program (even though it falls way outside of all the standardized protocols for doing VOIP) and then once everyone is in (millions of them) offer SKYPE OUT AND SKYPE IN.

forget the incomepatability with other VOIP providers, most users that have adopted skype with hardware are unlikely to change, why cos we never do like change do we!

BT 21CN program - They plan to have all of the traffic including voice running over their IP backbone as soon as they can.

UMTS 3G networks 3GPP R6 (release 6) standard denotes a completely IP back bone.

Mobile phones are appearing with both WIFI and VOIP software (smartphone)

You want to know the big picture,, Do a google on triple play or MSTV or IPTV and get reading.

How many of you only 4yrs ago had a P3 500Mhz on dial up and thought you where cutting edge?

The next 4yrs is going to be awsome. ADSL2 24meg with QOS anyone?

BR

D

[mungo j rumpy]

Recent advances in Broadband technology have enabled the internet to carry voice signals as effectively as data, prompting the explosion of Internet Telephony.
Phone lines could soon be a thing of the past as we could all be making cost saving calls through our computers.
A proliferation of user friendly interfaces exist to make these services accessible to all, whilst added communciation functionality will appeal to businesses and home users alike.
What is Internet Telephony?
The technical name VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol), put simply means the transmission of voice signals over the internet.
It comes mainly in two forms:
Soft Phone (using software similar to messaging software, with a microphone and speakers)
Mainly, but not exclusively for PC to PC telephony (like using messenger but speaking instead of typing), it is more suitable for home use.
Hard Phone ( involves an actual handset which could also be connected to your landline).
This is more suitable for business use, as landline calls can be received as normal.
Why do I need Internet Telephony?
The most compelling argument is it will save you money.
If you phone someone who is using the same internet technology provider as you the call is likely to be free.
If you are phoning a landline it is almost always cheaper, which is most beneficial when phoning overseas.
Some companies enable virtual phone numbers, for example you can have US phone number even if you are based in the UK (people overseas can call you at local rates).
Phone conferencing, phone and email integration and mobile phone working are amongst many other benefits widely available.

Click the link for more:

http://www.future-telephony.com/

[mucca_D]

The technical name VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol), put simply means the transmission of voice signals over the internet.

Be carefull. you can easily mislead someone saying that.

Yes you can use the public internet, and yes most internet like traffic does go over links that belong to Tier two ISPs but to simplfy it to what you say above is wrong.

VOIP simply (in plain English) means conversational voice encoded and sent over an IP network.

That network does not have to transverse the public internet at any stage.

Recent advances in Broadband technology have enabled the internet to carry voice signals as effectively as data

No sorry again this is a bit wide of the mark. and bit sweeping.

VOIP has been around for a long time, and the internet has been able to send DATA around easily for a long time too. where IP has falling short is QOS.

VOIP is not VOICE---- It is voice converted into a data stream. the internet see its has the same as any other DATA.

However the recent advance in broadband speed to the home, has allowed better codecs to be used on such systems as MSN and more recent IMS like skype.

One BIG change that is conming through is QOS, allowing us not only to use the internet for VOIP but by giving UDP traffic prioity we can start to give Guarantees and good SLAs' to customers.

Dont do to VOIP what some did to 3G, or worse WAP!!!!

[Captain KOB]

I have to agree more with the last posted message. VoIP can be very misleading. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol does not mean and never will, free calls. It is possible, currently, free when using MSN, type direct PC to PC calls when only using the internet. But as soon as you break onto the PSTN, (BT or another) and call someone on a standard landline, someone has to pick up the chrage for that call. Consequently, as VoIP becomes more popular, you are likely to see a fixed monthly charge for using VoIP telephony. The valid question over Quality or Service will also drive carriers/ISPs to provide some kind of SLA and this will increase the cost to them of supplying the sevice... this will force them to charge for the service.

National calls on the normal PSTN can now be had as low as 0.99p per minute and this will unfortunately slow down the mass move over to VoIP as profits will not be there for the networks to invest vast sums of money to guarantee a decent service... The comment earlier about landlines being a thing of the past is also wrong... you need a PSTN for Broadband! There are alternatives; wireless or satellite but these are even more expensive than a landline.

BT is fighting back against all the business they have lost over the years and BT Fusion is something worth considering. Officially, 60% of the UK spend on telephone calls is now mobile to mobile or landline to mobile and BT Fusion targets this specifically.

The term "IP Telephony" is more associated with business users on their own LAN or WAN.

[Cable Monkey]

With respect, the major players do not look to telephony to provide profit for investment. They provide broadband and that is where profits are right now. Also in the UK, the largest customer facing providers of broadband (Telewest and NTL) do not require PSTN and at no point does their service go anywhere near the PSTN. Local loop is a legacy of the way BT did business in the past and is the factor that is holding them back right now. Other major players are not restricted by the same historical issues, or play the middle man leaving BT to maintain their archaic network. BT has to change and that means leaving behind assumptions about the PSTN needing to be there. Granted it has its uses and certain applications will be slow to change, but change they will.

Oh, and Fusion is a marketing tool, and anyone can manipulate the market. That is not where they will regain lost ground. I honestly doubt they ever will, all they can do is compete effectively to hold on to what they have.

[galtgulch]

Just in case you may be unaware, which is not hard to believe since most people do not yet know about it.

The Ojo is a video telephone which uses the internet directly, with no computer necessary, although a modem or router do enable the connection. In fact you can use an ethernet cable to connect your modem or router to a wall outlet in your home, and then attach the Ojo with another ethernet cable to any other wall outlet in your home and you will be able to see and hear your caller in any room in your house, even out on the deck, the porch or the pool.

So you are not stuck in front of the computer as you are with computer based Skype, and better still, you not only get to hear your caller, but you can see their every move and expression, because the Ojo is a video telephone!

The Ojo picture offers face to face contact in a profoundly realistic 30 frames per second picture (movies theaters offer 24fps) on as little as 100 kilo bytes per second data flow (picture is even better if adjusted up to 150kbps)

The Ojo won Best of Innovations in Design and Engineering Award at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas which led to worldwide publicity by the 4500 editors and correspondents from all over who wrote about the Ojo in virtually every language on the planet.

A U.S. Patent was granted for the Design.

You can see it at www.wgate.com and there are organized links at www.ojoworld.com

A less expensive version without detachable cordless phone and dedicated to video calls has a black satin finish and is called the Shadow Ojo.

So far you need an Ojo at each end but it can become interoperable.

A feature enabling video messaging was downloaded to early adopters so callers could leave video messages! Other features can be similarly downloaded as they became available.

The Ojo is on the market and the price has come down from early adopter price of $799 to $499 for the Ojo and $399 for the Shadow Ojo and there is an additional $150 rebate on either until end of June.

Also available online at many retailers, e.g. amazon, 101phones, etc and in Tweeter and other electronics retailers.

The Ojo is particularly appealing to loved ones who live at a distance, across the country or around the world. Since you activate the Ojo with your own phone number you can take the phone with you when you travel and just plug it into the internet anywhere and it will work. There is audio synchrony which makes for a very realistic picture on the 7inch diagonal LCD screen which is uniquely held up at eye level. It is more like a visit than a phone call. There is a lens cover for calls when you do not want to be seen.

The company which created the Ojo is WorldGate Communications and is no longer involved with Motorola with whom they had an exclusive marketing and distribution arrangement but presumeably they wanted to be able to lower the Ojo price so the deal was ended and the Ojo price lowered.

galt

[DD3]

Originally Posted by Captain KOB

The comment earlier about landlines being a thing of the past is also wrong... you need a PSTN for Broadband!

this is just not true even for DSL based services. the only reason people believe this is that it is how BT insist on providing the service to protect phone line revenues, else the adoption of VoIP would have been far faster.

unbundled local loops will hopefully put an end to this monopoly driven misconception and we will finally be rid of the analogue line and un-necessary cost.

as a technology it does what its meant to well, however its only benefit over VoIP today is the lack of local power rewuired to drive subscriber devices. this is a personal trade off and decision and I for one would be happy to use my mobile as a fall back option if there was a power cut without the need for an analogue line that I currently pay for but dont ever use.

[DD3]

Originally Posted by Cable Monkey

With respect, the major players do not look to telephony to provide profit for investment. They provide broadband and that is where profits are right now. Also in the UK, the largest customer facing providers of broadband (Telewest and NTL) do not require PSTN and at no point does their service go anywhere near the PSTN. Local loop is a legacy of the way BT did business in the past and is the factor that is holding them back right now. Other major players are not restricted by the same historical issues, or play the middle man leaving BT to maintain their archaic network. BT has to change and that means leaving behind assumptions about the PSTN needing to be there. Granted it has its uses and certain applications will be slow to change, but change they will.

Oh, and Fusion is a marketing tool, and anyone can manipulate the market. That is not where they will regain lost ground. I honestly doubt they ever will, all they can do is compete effectively to hold on to what they have.

your opinions show a complete lack of awareness of what has held back the investment in broadband in the UK and what the business models of future service providers relies on. Things are moving on a pace of late and BT have finally took the step forward with 21cn , however in reality they have an existing platform delivering revenues which is paid for and they wished to milk for every last penny they could. they derive a major amount of their profits from the likes of normal home owners who pay for a line that is using *free* cabling and a system that was paid for 10+ years ago that is delivering significant revenues still. Why would you expect them to do anything but protect that for as long as possible?

the main driver for change has been the onset of unbundled local loops, and the *minimal* impact of cable companies.

The providers that are investing in any form of IP to the home service, DSL, cable, wireless, whichever, are putting in pipes on the basis they can layer on added services to deliver profits (and return on their investments in infrastructure) voice and video are considered the primary additions to internet and as such fusion or any othe bundles like sky broadband are just reflective of the future of how we will end up buying services for the home. It will drive competition to get *any* additional revenue from consumers to sweat the new IP based assets.

[Cable Monkey]

My 'lack of awareness' is based on 27 years in the industry working for both BT and the opposition. What is your heightened state of awarenes based on?

[DD3]

similar

lack of awareness was pointed at opening sentence of your post. (was is a foul mood when I wrote that sorry ) the fact is it is voice revenues that has provided BT with a significant ROI on their voice infrastructure.... and subsequent investments in other technologies. That is the reason they have made numerous decisions to delay or package certain products to protect their voice revenues. e.g. you have to have a phoneline for DSL. knowing that if they didnt cometitors would dessimate their cash cow.

the remainder of both posts are making similar points.

[Cable Monkey]

Cool, no worries about the post, was just interested in where you were coming from. From Cables perspective, the big money maker is Broadband. Ultimately the main cash sources have evolved, it used to be telephony, it is now broadband and in future it will be a wide spectrum of sources. Cable were amazed when BT dragged their heels over broadband. They handed them an advantage they still hold and 60% penetration in many areas is not to be sniffed at with all proceeds coming to Cable, not split between BT Wholesale and a myriad of 'providers'. In so saying, Cable are squeezing every last drop out of their telephony plant also, and theirs is newer but they don't have the complication of a delivery network that ties their products together.

[DeadKenny]

I think one thing that should be made clear in any VoIP FAQ is...

VoIP does not = Skype

However Skype is a VoIP service. Just one example of one. Sadly most people just think Skype is VoIP and there's nothing else.

Yes, VOIP has really helped but It will be of more benefit if broadband access becomes cheaper then users can implement more solutions.

[richwill]

I'll set my stall out early.

I'm not a technican of any sort and wouldn't profess to be one.

Some of the previous posts (IMHO) are absolutely spot on. VoIP is a relatively new technology and it normally falls into the laps of the best marketeers. SIP seems to be the most obvious standard from a mobility point of view yet there's still a massive lead from a consumer standpoint. With that in mind and wanting it available as simple as possible i've subscribed to three mobile's "x" series which includes skype to the handset.

I have to say the quality is excellent and is yet another way for my clients to contact me (at no cost(seemingly)) yes, there's always a cost somewhere but it's incredibly miniscule.

People will normally tend to gravitate towards the loudest voice (at least look in that direction) so until someone comes up with a provider who's prepared to underwrite the technology use then skype wil probably win out (for now).

anyhow, just wanted to say, i'm really pleased.