[April 07, 2008] IP Telephony: Reality and Not a Dream Tweet IP telephony is on a vantage point of offering low cost connectivity in the form of VoIP connections. This network is slowly but surely gaining ground. People are now opting for this service and have started to abandon the traditional method of telephony that has high call charges. The telecommunication purists have also shown the green flag to the innovation known as IP telephony. The telephony service has now spread its roots to various countries including the UK and people are coming forward so as to avail this new technology and stay ahead of others. This innovation is based on the process that is digital and no longer makes use of traditional methods of connecting by using the long distance cable lines. The users have the option of using the technology to make long distance calls without any extra charges for an extended & unlimited length of time. The routing of VoIP telephony is done with a central office that takes an IP network connection through other internet servers and summarizes the call by sending it to the receiving end. The process takes place when a traditional telephone or a computer makes use of an analog telephone adapter or a modern to convert the voice signals to a digital format. This signal is then passed over the internet using a special switch. The signal then reaches another server’s network over the internet. These are then carried by an international or local carrier to their destinations. At the receivers' end, these are reconverted to the analog form making use of a decompresser and a digital to analog converter. The carries of voice are the hosted IP telephony providers that either have their network internationally or work locally. In both the cases, the long distance calls can be easily made as the local VoIP telephony providers generally lease their services from international providers. So, either way, the services remain more or less the same; people who have subscribed to local telephony service providers can make international calls. Generally the service providers that are self reliant are known as tier 1 and others that avail services from them are tier 2 and tier 3 providers. The IP telephony systems have revolutionised the fast transfer of voice with an internet connection. A fast internet connection enables making of more than one call at a time. It is not just limited to call-making. One can send images and videos to others using the same connections. All these facilities are made available at the same price rates. The tariff charged for VoIP telephony is extremely reasonable and much cheaper as compared to the traditional networks. There are no variations in charges of calls that are either international or local. Thus, it becomes possible for everyone to make the best use of such services. Moreover, the equipment required for availing VoIP telephony is easily available or are offered free by the providers of these services. So, using this new technology is always beneficial for people who are looking for high end connectivity at low rates. It overcomes the jargon of the traditional technologies and gives people a new lease of life– especially in the way they can connect with others. For more information on VoIP Service, vist: IP Telephony. http://www.icallglobe.com Voice over IP (VoIP) X A real-time communications system that converts voice into digital packets containing media and signaling data that travel over networks using Internet Protocol....more Internet Protocol (IP) X IP stands for Internet Protocol, a data-networking protocol developed throughout the 1980s. It is the established standard protocol for transmitting and receiving data in packets over the Internet. I...more Central Office (CO) X Central office or wire center where local telephone wires are interconnected to one another and to other central offices....more [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]