Frequently Asked uestions...
- Q. What is Voice over IP (VoIP)?
A. In VoIP, voice is digitized and then put into data packets and sent across the data network. To use VoIP, users can use either digital IP phones or analog phones behind an analog telephone adapter (voice gateway). - Q. What's different about VoIP? What's the same?
A. VoIP provides the same high-quality telephone service that you are used to today. In addition, since the IP phones are digital and have an LCD screen display, there are additional features and functionality. For example, all phones will have Caller ID and Call Waiting. The IP phones also have provision of personal directory, and you can store a personal address book and speed dial list too. - Q. What's the difference between VoIP and voice over the Internet?
A. Our new Voice over IP system is NOT voice over the Internet. IP stands for Internet Protocol, which means that the voice is digitized into data packets so that it is compatible with being sent over data networks, including the Internet. They travel on dedicated long distance trunks that use the IP format. - Q. Is VoIP the same as calling through the Internet? I heard that Internet calls are jerky with echoes and delays in hearing the other person talk.
A. The VoIP calls are travelling through the Internet before they are "handed off" to terminating carrier. Many long distance calls already travel through data networks, although they are private data networks owned by the telephone companies and not over the public Internet. The technology that "digitizes" voice has improved tremendously over the last few years such that the quality of a VoIP call is almost identical to the quality of a Centrex or analog call. - Q. How reliable is VoIP? I'm not sure about the quality of my phone calls going over the data network?
A. We know that the reliability of Voice over IP depends on the stability of the underlying data network. A 24 x 7 NOC continuously monitors the voice traffic to provide shortest and congestion free route to Voice packets over Internet. Since Internet is a public network the traffic on the web cannot be controlled completely however the routing can be done on premium routes to ensure reliability. - Q. If the data and the voice share the same network, won't they interfere with each other and reduce the quality of the voice call?
A. If the Internet bandwidth connectivity is sized properly the bandwidth can be prioritized for the customer to ensure that the data traffic doesn't chew up the bandwidth required for voice traffic at any point of time when a call is on. Think of it like a super highway that has express lanes and local lanes. The two highways share the same entrance and exit ramps, but they each flow at their own speed. This is similar to what we're doing with the data and voice on the Internet. - Q. What about wireless VoIP phone?
A. There are a few wireless VoIP phones available in the market however wireless VoIP has not yet picked up so much in India as Wi-Fi and WiMax networks are commonly available yet. - Q. How can I make my VoIP device receive calls too?
A. To receive calls one will require a telephone number on which the dialling party can make the call. This number can be a Toll Free or a Local area number also called as DID number of any destination. These numbers are similar to any other local number and the dialling party will pay the local BSO providing that number the local charge. This number can be made available by the VoIP Service provider to the customer, this number will be configured on the end users device like an IP Phone or a gateway.