VoIP: A Reasonable Gateway to Effective Calling

VoIP: A Reasonable Gateway to Effective Calling

by Kristen Kiya

VoIP is a technology that masters in converting the voice into digital signals. These signals then are transferred via the internet to the receiver. The Voice over Internet Protocol is a facilitating technology that can be used to make calls directly from a VoIP phone, a computer or even a traditional phone that remains connected to an adaptor. In addition, the facility can also be used wirelessly in locations where there is an availability of the network. So, now airports, parks and farmhouses can be made Voice over IP enabled and internet enabled calls can thus be made.
For a quality VoIP experience, a broadband high speed connection is required. This broadband connection can be acquired with a cable modem, a DSL or even a local area network. Computers and a VoIP phone are required for some special services, while the other services need an adaptor to be connected to a traditional phone. The whole system works with a switch that is a gateway for transmission of signals from one internet server to another. The digital data is perfect for the internet to carry messages and deliver them to the recipient.

The VoIP service is advantageous as it can store incoming calls to a Voice mail account, send/receive a voice mail as an email attachment, enable 3-way calling and gives the provision of talking to the entire family simultaneously. The other advantages of a VoIP call are that it is cheap as compared to the traditional land lines. Moreover, the system is based on non reliance which means that the service can be accessed at the same call cost irrespective of specific geographical distances. The VoIP phone service combines both voice and data communications on a single network and this is the reason why the internet is used to serve both forms of the traffic.

The process of VoIP telephony is based on a simple process. A device needs to get connected to the internet by any means. This device may be a phone or a computer. In case of a computer, a modem can be used along with a microphone for making the calls. But a traditional phone needs an Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) that converts the analog voice to digital format by the use of an Analog to digital converter. By the use of the Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), these digital bits are then compressed using codecs that actually segment voice signals and later store them in voice packets. The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) then work in compliance with the entire process to send the compressed data over the internet. The message then passes through the designated switches. This message later on is decapsulated so as to retrieve the same voice data. Following this, a decompression is performed that revives the original digital data that is again converted to the analog form after passing through a digital to analog converter.

The VoIP technology is ideal for it offers features that are not available with the traditional phone systems. Also the availability of high speed internet connection that is a pre-requisite for efficient service is easily available everywhere. This is the reason why the market is expanding and people are now opting for this technology to remain connected.