VoIP A Global Telecommunications Revolution by Jessica
Liu
It's being advertised as the biggest thing to hit the telecommunications
market since the invention of the cellular telephone, but what
is VOIP, how does it work and is it really that revolutionary?
VOIP is an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and
it works by using your broadband internet connection to route
your call more efficiently and cost effectively than conventional
calling. The most common VOIP method works like this. Your
standard telephone is connected to VOIP gateway, usually located
somewhere in your house like a basement or utility closet.
This gateway takes your voice and converts it from an analog
signal to a digital signal. Once it exists in digital format
it is broken down into smaller more manageable units known
as "packets" and is transmitted over the internet the same
way data is transmitted to and from your computer. These "packets" contain
information about their final destination and have instructions
to enable them to be put back together in the proper order.
Once the packets reach the closest location to their desired
destination they go back through another VOIP gateway which
translates the signal back into an analog format. The gateway
then passes the signal over to a PTSN (Public Telephone Switch
Network) and your call is routed to the number that you dialed.
As people become more familiar and comfortable with VOIP
calling newer and more advanced methods of communication will
occur. In the very early stages of adoption are IP Based telephones.
Instead of using standard telephone equipment with an RJ45
telephone connection to a VOIP Gateway these phone interfaces
directly with the internet through a standard network connection.
This enable you to use your phone at home unplug it when you
leave and then plug it in at your office and your calls are
automatically routed to the phone wherever it's plugged in.
As WIFI networking becomes more prevalent expect to see wifi
compatible cellular phones emerge to make calling even more
portable.
While VOIP is still in the early stages of adoption there
are still some hurdles that need to be overcome. The most important
ones include emergency calling, and the need for uninterruptible
power sources. However as VOIP and other IP based telephony
continues to grow and advance, VOIP service providers will
find ways to solve these problems.
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About the Author
Jessica Liu is a staff writer at http://www.voiptelephonesystem.org a
news and information website about VOIP and VOIP related technologies.