One of the original design intentions behind the Internet was resiliency. If something went horribly awry during the Cold War, there needed to be a way to keep communications functioning.

While some would argue that the Internet is not as resilient as it used to be when it was originally conceived, there’s less question about the resiliency of voice-over-IP (VoIP) compared with the traditional, TDM-based telephone network.

The telephone network that precedes VoIP was not exactly built with as much resiliency as the Internet, and a natural disaster can relatively easily take down communications.

The suburb of Tilehurst in the town of Reading, England, for instance, recently had its phone network cut for several weeks.

The lack of reliability has meant that many residents of Tilehurst have racked up huge cellular bills since there was no other way to communicate.

If the suburb had used VoIP, however, it’s likely that the area’s phone problems would have been less extensive.

VoIP travels through the Internet, so it takes advantage of the network’s multiple pathways to reach its destination.

Not all pathways deliver the same quality of service, so it is true that in times of disaster a VoIP call may not have as great a call quality. But it still will be more likely to reach its destination, which is more than can be said for traditional phone lines that are knocked out in a storm.

Businesses and towns alike should keep this in mind when planning their disaster recovery scenarios; VoIP is far more resilient.

So, too, should governments.

There is already a case to be made that it is fiscally irresponsible for governments to not switch to VoIP. The city of Winnipeg, for instance, defined its local telephone company recently and moved the city to VoIP, as I reported last month. The savings for the city amounted to roughly $1.5 million over the next five years.

Add to this the argument that VoIP is more reliable, and there are few credible reasons why governments should not switch to the newer telephony technology.