T1 VOIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) enables you to make telephone calls over the internet. The procedure for producing an internet call involves conversion of analogue voice signals from a traditional telecommunication technology to a digital format, which is then translated to IP packets for internet transmission. This process is reversed at the receiving end.
Internet phone call originated in 1995 when a few people from Israel took it as a hobby to send voice data over an internet connection. This technological breakthrough was harnessed to evade expensive long distance telephone charges. Later on in that very same year, a company developed internet telephone software which ran on a PC and required a modem, microphone, speaker and sound card. In the beginning the voice quality was very poor and connections were only possible between computers installed with compatible internet phone software. Subsequent modifications and improvements helped evolve the technology, and thus came the PC to phone connections followed by phone to phone connection. Today, a lot of companies are switching to this technology as a means of communication.
VOIP is best activated with a T1 line for larger businesses. A T1 line has a high quality internet service that can provide a solid foundation for advanced applications like VOIP. A T1 line is readily available and it runs 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. With T1 line displaying this level of reliability, the T1 VOIP is set to increase efficiency of the VOIP technology.
One great benefit is that, the required bandwidth for normal telephone conversation is greatly reduced with VOIP. For instance, a VOIP transmission requires only 32KB of bandwidth. It is therefore possible to fix up to 24 VOIP lines on a data T1 and yet have up to 768KB left for high speed Internet access.
Development of Voice over IP technology would aid the cheaper and more reliable communication process right across every nook and corner of the globe. Imagine making regular phone calls to a person in a far away country. The first challenge would definitely be the high cost. In some countries, local calls are expensive, let alone international calls. VOIP becomes the most reliable option to solve this problem. On a PSTN line, time is very expensive. The per second or per minute method of billing makes calls very expensive. In short, one has to master the art of keeping conversations as brief as possible so as to save ones purse. With VOIP the only bill to settle is that charged by your ISP. With monthly subscriptions, you can make as many calls as possible in addition to other internet uses for no additional cost. Comparing VOIP with PSTN line, research has shown that a VOIP line can save you as much as 40% on local calls and up to 90% on international calls.
Furthermore, VOIP is easy and cheap to set up. Apart from your PC and internet connection, other requirements are sound card, a microphone, speaker and modem. These are cheap and readily available. Software packages for this purpose are available online and easily downloadable for installation. Good examples are Skype and Net2Phone. In case you are not aware you can do without a telephone. To start with you can download free internet phone software and install on your PC. Then, let your friend do the same. You can now enjoy free calls between you and your friend.
Due to integration with the internet, VOIP has a wider application with numerous features for your personal business needs. All these interesting features come free with VOIP services from the providers. They include, area code selection, E911 service, enhanced voicemail, telemarketer blocking, toll free numbers, PC to phone option, extra virtual numbers, online account management, international blocking, anonymous call block etc. The internet integration along with a web cam also enables image and video transfer in parallel with the transfer of voice.
The VOIP technology allows a flexible network layout. For instance, different networks could be used based on need and budget. An individual could prefer one ATM and another, SONET or Ethernet. Wireless networks like Wi-Fi can equally be used.
VOIP technology could eliminate the use of Fax machines since VOIP provides a more reliable means of sending Fax messages. The portability and flexibility of the technology also allows one to do business on the go. To be in more than one place at the same time, you can take advantage of intranet and extranet facilities.
However, there are a few disadvantages of VOIP. Majority of them have to do with reliability, power outage and emergency 911 services. The performance of VOIP depends absolutely on the quality of internet connection and to some extent, on the limitations of your PC. Poor internet connection can cause voice failure or call failure. With T1 internet connection and a good quality PC, this problem could be minimized.
With issues related to power, VOIP network would just not work, since it relies on the main electricity supply. A stand by power generator might be resorted to.
VOIP technology uses IP address instead of physical address. So, it becomes almost impossible to determine the source of such a call. However in North America, such IP based phone calls are being tracked down in cases of emergency by the E911 (Enhanced 9-1-1) service availability. Outside the United States, this facility is quite often termed as ‘caller location’.