IP Communications Featured Articles

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is all well and good, as long as you have the IP part. Otherwise you’re just stuck with a voice over. So for those with poor to no landline and cellular connections, what’s the alternative? Perhaps satellite internet, which is providing many companies with a VoIP connection separate from their regular lines.

There are a few issues to consider when looking at satellite internet, which have prevented it from catching on as well as it could. Yes, it’s an easy way to access broadband connectivity, but it has its flaws like any technology.

For example, satellite internet is often considered too latent to be worth using. Yes, it does have latency issues, which may not be a problem now and then, but recurring problems can become a big inconvenience, and the lost time stacks up. Since the data is being beamed to and from space, it’s understandable that it wouldn’t be as fast as DSL or cable lines, but there are ways around the latency issue, so many satellite providers can help with that.

Speaking of providers, just finding one can prove a challenge. VoIP service isn’t the most common thing as it is, but finding someone that can offer it over a satellite connection is another issue altogether. Finding the proper provider may be difficult, but it is not impossible. For example, Hughes Network Systems (News - Alert) has recently launched the HughesNet VoIP telephony service, delivering a phone service with call waiting, caller ID, voice mail, and other such features, all from a satellite.

However, some things are beyond one’s control. Weather, for instance, is not something that people can control (at least not until the Weather Dominator machine is completed and doesn’t fall into the wrong hands for once), and can cause chaos for Internet satellites. If there’s interference between the satellite and computer, such as thunderstorms, then getting a good connection will prove difficult.

Still, in spite of the challenges to VoIP over satellite internet, it is a very real and very good possibility for many companies. It can prove easier to set up and run than other connections, and provide quality calling for remote locations. There may be some obstacles in its way, but none are insurmountable, and it may prove worthwhile to those who are willing to try it.