Written on Aug 5, 2024.
Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) lets you make voice calls over the internet instead of a regular landline or mobile network. This technology goes by many names. The list includes broadband phone service, broadband telephony, internet telephony and IP telephony.
The term "VoIP" may seem unfamiliar. But the chances are that you've made calls using this technology without knowing. Popular apps like Skype, Viber, LINE, FaceTime, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger all use VoIP to facilitate voice calls.
There has been an upsurge in the popularity of VoIP technology in the last couple of years. That's because of its low cost, convenience and value-added benefits compared to regular phone service. VoIP gives users the ability to make video calls and other forms of digital communication. It's no wonder it's fast becoming the communications technology of choice.
The technology enables people to make and receive calls over the internet instead of using more traditional phone systems. The biggest advantage is the ability to make calls anywhere in the world, regardless of what phone systems are in place, or the quality of available phone signals. In this new world of coronavirus-related lockdowns and restrictions, such versatility advantage and ease of communications is more important than ever.
There are, however, disadvantages to using VoIP, as with any system of this kind. It's all about weighing these drawbacks up and comparing them to the benefits to decide whether it is the right system for your specific business or individual circumstances.
The first piece of good news when it comes to comparing VoIP advantages and disadvantages is the costs involved. Where data used to be very expensive in the early days of internet communications, the costs have plummeted as it became more and more ubiquitous. Once the system has been set up and installed, calls between two or more VoIP set-ups are free. There can be costs involved in calling between VoIP and a landline, but these are normally much lower than between two landlines.
Additionally, there is also no separate line rental that you would need to pay with a traditional phone, as the VoIP system links to your existing internet connection as part of your contract. You have one account and one bill for your internet services.
Some comparisons put the potential cost-savings you could achieve as high as more than half an existing landline or private branch exchange (PBX) phone system invoice.
For organisations that need to stay connected, such as call centres and other businesses that speak to the public on a regular basis, having this flexibility is essential for ongoing financial viability, agility and growth.
VoIP doesn't use as much bandwidth as you might expect. It's essential that VoIP devices receive low latency on your network. Each device should have at least 100 kbps upload speed available. A good connection has less than 70ms ping and jitter, which measures the latency and stability of your internet connection.
The bandwidth your business needs will depend on the number of concurrent calls you plan on making. The best way to determine this is to run a bandwidth test on your current network.
When communicating online each message (whether it be email, video, or audio) is broken into bits of data called "data packets." These packets are then reassembled at their intended destination to create the original message.
Latency and jitter are when these data packets either hit delays in transmission or get improperly re-assembled. These issues might not even be with your network; major internet backbones modify data routes to deliver traffic reliably, fastest path to a destination. These changes happen automatically with no involvement on your part.
We support all telecommunication services and needs. Please remember to keep Bulk Solutions in mind for your telecommunication needs where we value Quality and Reliability above all else.
