Home
>
VOIP
>
Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones?

Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones?

Just What is Voice Over IP Telephony?

Voice over Internet Telephony is technology that means you can hold telephone calls over the Internet or an IP network. It eliminates the need for having separate lines for your Internet connection and dedicated voice transfer lines. There are many advantages to VoIP but because it is still an advancing technology you need to shop around to find the best deal. No cumbersome circuit switching is required and there is no depletion in the bandwidth associated with normal dual line systems. VoIP protocol means that voice data is only sent over the network when it needs to be, freeing up that bandwidth when you aren't making 'calls'.

What are the Advantages of VoIP.

Voice over Internet Telephony isn't widely used in office networks, let alone in the home, however if you make international phone calls then you are probably being routed through IP infrastructure because of the lower costs of calls. What this does mean, though, is that the infrastructure is quite obviously already in place and anyone who chooses can do so easily. This means that you can 'call' friends, family or associates using your own VoIP without the need for them to have the same technology installed.

The costs are phone calls that are reduced dramatically by using VoIP and once the infrastructure is in place there are usually little or no additional infrastructure charges required making it a cost effective and affordable telephony solution.

Because VoIP is a new technology you get the usual advantages of employing a new technology; increased technological advances and new technologies are employed meaning you get a state of the art system. Telecommunications providers have been regularly using IP networks to transfer voice data and so most of the teething problems have been thoroughly investigated and ironed out and all the advancements made have been integrated into a system you can have installed in your home, office or business.

You don't necessarily have to transmit your calls over the Internet, and for more secure calls you can use private IP networks. For this reason many large businesses already have IP systems in place making inter-business calls much cheaper.

Electronic numbering makes it possible to dial traditional E 164 phone numbers connected entirely by your Internet connection. This means that you won't face any call charges whatsoever, and all you will have to pay will be the cost of your Internet connection.

Is VoIP available for me to use now?

Companies like Vonage, VoicePulse and Packet8 are already offering flat monthly fees for their VoIP services meaning you can call anywhere in the country (sometimes even to other selected countries around the world) and only ever pay one flat monthly fee.

Vonage offer a service for $24.99 a month that allows you to call anywhere in the US or Canada. They also offer similar plans for small businesses.

Are there any disadvantages to VoIP?

VoIP, as a technology, is still in it's infancy and new developments are being found every day. However, there are limitations to the service and the technology which need to be addresses before it can become a complete replacement for your standard phone line.

Because the Internet knows no geographic boundaries it means that, for example, calling the emergency services would not necessarily put you through to your local emergency dispatch centre.

In addition, you can't send or receive faxes and you can't route traditional modems, alarm systems or satellite systems through your VoIP connection, because they require access to a voice grade phone line. For the moment VoIP is a compliment to your traditional phone line, rather than a replacement, until these problems can be ironed out.

Summary

The advent of the Internet and improved telephone technology has seen the introduction of VoIP. It means you can make phone calls through your broadband connection; this in turn means that for a set monthly fee you can call anywhere in your country and selected international countries for as long as required and only pay one flat monthly fee.

The advantages of VoIP are still significant for homes and business users alike. Big businesses are already saving substantial money by installing IP networks and using VoIP protocol to transfer voice data. This essentially makes the calls themselves free, only having to pay for the Internet connection and the monthly VoIP fee.

VoIP looks like it's here to stay. As the technology rolls out, it's impact can only become greater.

? 2005 Nick Carter

Nick Carter is editor for http://www.voice-over-ip-insider.com, a key web resource for VOIP information.

trusted cleaning company Bannockburn ...

In The News:

Black Friday deals are already drawing scammers who use fake delivery notices and gift card payment requests to steal your personal financial information.

Apple's iPhone Duo reportedly outlasted the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 by over three hours in battery tests, but its weight and repair costs raise concerns.

Florida Polytechnic University's Jetson ONE eVTOL police vehicle named Astro still awaits FAA authorization before officers can fly operational patrols.

OpenAI's new locked chats feature lets you protect ChatGPT conversations with a PIN, Face ID or Touch ID, but there are key privacy limitations.

A phishing email disguised as an Evite fooled a man even after he emailed his friend to verify it, revealing how compromised Gmail accounts aid scams.

Microsoft's AI diagnostic system identified 83% of complex medical cases in a study, more than doubling the 36% accuracy of generalist doctors.

Account takeover threats go beyond stolen passwords as criminals exploit session cookies, SIM swaps and MFA fatigue to bypass your login security.

SpaceX is reportedly pursuing access to 80,000 cell sites to turn Starlink into a major wireless carrier rivaling Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Tech advocacy groups warn that foreign nationals at AI companies like OpenAI and Google pose a national security threat amid a lack of federal oversight.

Singapore researchers built the world's first touchscreen woven into clothing, surviving 50 machine washes while displaying images and responding to touch.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A startup founder woke to $449 in unexpected OpenAI and Anthropic charges after stolen API keys were exploited during the "Black October" cyber wave.

Educational Testing Service hackers stole millions of California student records, but families who moved out of state years ago may also be affected.

Apple's iPhone Duo screens are cracking near the hinge just days after its $1,999 launch, and iFixit's CT scans may reveal what's going wrong.

Travel expert Katy Nastro says 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles vanished from her account after someone redeemed them without permission.

Google AI Overviews can't be permanently turned off, but adding -AI to your searches and using the built-in Web filter can help bypass AI summaries.

Attaxion researchers found 30 fake Texas campaign merchandise stores traced to just two sellers hawking gear for competing Republicans and Democrats.

GM plans to debut eyes-off driving in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028, but safety testing reveals how long distracted drivers take to regain control.

Data brokers assign labels predicting your health, finances and religion based on browsing and purchases, then sell those profiles to businesses.

Elon Musk says he'll give one SpaceX share to every kid in America in 2027, but key details about eligibility and distribution remain unclear.

ClearSpace UK's robotic spacecraft with giant claws will chase down dead satellites at 17,000 mph, with a 2029 launch from Scotland planned.

A fake Social Security statement phishing email uses the SSA logo and a convincing layout, but the sender's domain instantly exposes the scam.

A clean credit report doesn't mean your identity is safe. Six ways criminals can steal from you without triggering a credit monitoring alert.

Carolyn Marvin, a 78-year-old retired professor, was arrested after blocking an Uber Eats delivery robot on a Philadelphia sidewalk for months.

The Midnight Mimosa malware campaign hides inside cheap Android phone firmware, giving attackers powerful access before owners even turn devices on.