What is VoIP | Megagate Broadband

by: ?Charles Jordan, VoIP Specialist

?VoIP, or ?Voice-over-Internet Protocol?, is a combination of various technologies that allow voice calls to take place over computer networks and the Internet. ?With roots reaching all the way back to the mid-1990s, VoIP is now finely ingrained in the communication networks of the world. ?In fact, many telephone service carriers now use VoIP trunks to carry long-distance traffic for much less cost than copper-wire lines. ?In the last few years, VoIP has seen an especially large growth in residential areas, with home users signing up for services like Skype, Vonage, and our own residential VoIP service, MegaVoIP.

How does VoIP work? ?

A VoIP-enabled phone or computer software application connects, via the Internet, to a VoIP carrier?s server and logs in using the account information, usually a telephone number and account password. ?Once the server finds that the account is valid, the phone or computer is allowed to establish voice and/or multimedia communications, using standard protocols like SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or H.323. ?Under normal circumstances, the software or device does all this automatically; the user plugs in the device or opens the software application and use the service almost immediately.

What are the requirements?

With VoIP, a fast Internet connection is a must-have service. ?High-speed DSL is the absolute minimum requirement for a home user or small business. ?A medium or large-sized businesses will usually order dedicated T1 services from a local service provider to use solely for their VoIP communications. ?Although VoIP might technically ?work? over slower Internet connections, using VoIP over anything slower than DSL usually guarantees issues with voice quality, including choppy or distorted audio and constantly dropping calls.

?Advantages of VoIP Phone Service

One of the many virtues of VoIP is that the service is highly portable. ?Whether it?s a VoIP-enabled desk phone on a business trip or a VoIP app on a smart phone, a VoIP line can be used in almost any location where high-speed Internet is available. ?Also, a VoIP is much cheaper than having a regular telephone line, the cost of which is mostly due to the copper wire that has to be ran, buried, and connected by a qualified technician.

Have you given up your traditional phone line in lieu of VoIP? ? Have you completely disconnected your landlines and went, instead, with a mobile phone?

For more information on VoIP, visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_IP
http://transition.fcc.gov/voip/

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