Free VOIP and SIP Protocol

VoIP Gateways (What They Are and What They Do)

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0000

A Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) gateway is a network device that converts voice and fax calls between the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and an IP network in real time. A VOIP gateway is also known as a media gateway, networking equipment. With a minimum of one Ethernet and telephone port, the controlling of the gateway can be done through the application of various protocols: SIP, MGCP, LTP, etc.

The VOIP gateway basically operates voice and fax compression/decompression, packetization, control signaling and call routing. Other service features can include billing systems, network management systems, and interfaces to external controllers, like Gatekeepers or Softswitches.

Voice Over IP Gateway assists carrier services. It offer flexible call integration, ringing and sound (tones) quality, and supports the transference of the calls resulting in lower consumer costs combined with ease of access. Gateways also helps offer compliant, easy numbering plans, choosing the lowest cost route automatically while keeping transparency at both the ends.

A gateway converts to IP voice packets through different applications, relying heavily upon software, tools and technical documentation for everything to work together. Overall, the gateway helps enable basic phone features: dial tone, ringing and caller I.D.

VoIP Being Used in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Nowadays, very seldom can you find countries without computers. The Philippines is a small country in Asia, and is rather behind compared to already developed countries. But this doesn’t mean that local residents are not aware of the new trends on the net.

There are many problems in the country that needs to be resolved. All the authorities are looking for ways to address the different problems in order to attain progress. And that is why rules and regulations are established for local residents to follow.

The National Telecommunications Commissions or the NTC regulates and addresses all issues concerning telecommunications. And one of the many things that the institution is trying to monitor is VoIP services.

VoIP is not new in the market; in fact, it has been used for a number of years now. But not all people are aware of its services; and what the different providers has to offer. According to the NTC, all VoIP providers are required to place a bond of guaranteed performance, and must have a paid-up minimum capital in order to deliver their services to the people.

You must be aware that there are many scams going on in the Internet. And the NTC is just protecting the people from possible scams. Their effort is geared towards blocking fly-by-night VoIP providers to protect applicants.

Because of this effort, VoIP providers are now required to pass through fixed-line networks of carriers.

A lot of VoIP providers are attracted to the Philippine market because they are aware that many Filipinos are working overseas. And so their families in the country are always making overseas calls. There are at least 8 million overseas Filipino workers, and this is quite a huge market.

The NTC assigned codes to the different companies concentrated in local exchange. According to the guidelines set by the NTC, all in and outbound VoIP should pass the local exchange’s network. Those providers using foreign addresses are prohibited in doing business in the country because they bypass the network.

In the Philippine context, a VoIP provider is an entity or a person who provides VoIP services directly to the people. They may also be resellers who are paid with certain amounts of compensation. They are required to post a performance bond worth five million pesos and having at least a capital of ten million pesos.

The cost of making an international call at present is about $0.40 per minute. And if a person is using VoIP, the cost in making international calls can be greatly reduced to as low as $0.10 or lower per minute. A lot of Filipino families can save as high as 75%.

The NTC further requires that VoIP providers posting performance bonds should be from registered surety companies or insurance companies.

This is one main reason why many VoIP providers are hesitant to make any investment in the Philippines. Many telecommunications companies are claiming that the issue has long been in debate, and that they have rights to provide service in the country at a much lower capital. But they can’t argue with the authorities. The NTC is quite firm as to their rules and regulations. This is only to protect small investors and its local residents as well.

In order for VoIP providers to penetrate the Philippine market, they must comply first with all the requirements set forth by the National Telecommunications Commission. And this is the only time that they can do legal business.

The Philippines has a very large market for overseas calling. Now, almost all current companies are quite competitive in giving their telephone service to many overseas Filipinos. In fact, there are different offers which allow the different families to save in making their international calls.

But if the VoIP providers can penetrate the market, the local residents will benefit greatly because all international calls will surely be much cheaper compared to the current rates being offered. Almost every person welcomes an opportunity to save money, and with VoIP around, there is another option for the people.

All other Asian nations are benefiting from the advantages of VoIP. But soon enough, after the long debates are through, the VoIP providers can do business in the country.

How Does VoIP (Voice Over IP) Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:59:00 +0000

The continuous revolution of technology is steadfastly converting our world into a better, more comfortable place to live in. Before, people only communicated through letters delivered by hand from one place to another. Years of innovation paved the way to the use of telephones, beepers, and cellular phones. Communication technology’s significant breakthroughs are coming out at a rapid pace, and so today, talking to anybody anywhere around the world is made cheaper with the use of a computer and an internet connection.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the latest technology allowing you to deliver and receive voice calls using an Internet connection, particularly broadband, as a substitute to an analog or an ordinary phone line. Also, it is referred to as the Broadband telephony, Voice over Broadband, IP Telephony Broadband Phone, and Internet telephony.

Your voice is translated into a digital signal that travels over the Internet through the VoIP services. Once calling a regular telephone number, the signal is coverts to a regular telephone signal just before it arrives at the destination. VoIP can let you make a call either directly from a special VoIP phone, a computer, or a traditional phone linked to one special adapter. Wireless “hot spots” such as airports and parks allow you to connect to the Internet enabling you to use VoIP service wirelessly.

Complex modern VoIP phone systems are made of several interlinked components. For most businesses, it is as complex and ambitious as they desire to let every employee have a phone with an extension. Furthermore, it requires voice mail for transferring calls and so forth. Unfortunately, this is not the way VoIP companies provide phone service. Modern business phone system is complicated and difficult as it is made up of three components or more.

The main components for having a VoIP phone system are the phones, the service, and the connection. The phones are the real units you hold for talking. The service refers to the company that makes the whole system work and connects phones to the universal telephone network. The connection are the wires or servers, gateways, switches, and routers that are running full tilt and connected to the Internet and to the PSTN.

A broadband or a high speed Internet connection is one main requirement for having VoIP. Such connection can be managed with a cable modem or high speed services, such as a local area network or a DSL. Your computer is an important equipment needed. The adapter or specialized phone is also required.

The three simple components can cover a big deal of complicated situation. Such complexity is dealt with by having time and money invested in understanding and maintaining the phone system. You may probably need to pay someone else to do it for you.

Today, VoIP phone systems provide telephone calls, where a fraction of the call routes over an IP network. Part of the call would travel over the Internet by a public or a private route. Once you are calling a regular phone, a part of the call will as well travel over the regular public telephone system or PSTN.

Your business will need to have an internal Ethernet network because of the IP network utilization for VoIP. Once you are using computers in your business, you certainly have it, so you do not have to worry. However, in case you realize that you do not have one, you can purchase an affordable one then have it easily set up.

VoIP services may allow you to call other people by using the same service; however, there are some which allow you to call anyone having a telephone number. This includes international numbers, mobile phones, local numbers, and long distance. Some VoIP services just work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, while other services let you use a traditional phone connected to the VoIP adapter.

We may consider a forecast that in the next two decades, each home will be utilizing a VoIP phone system. This will represent a considerable revolutionized communication technology. However, the experts must always consider the density of calls per second or the possible problems encumbered by traffic. Anyway, with all the innovations brought about each year, we must expect a highly transformed communication technology ahead.

Setting Up A VoIP Network

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:59:00 +0000

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is a method of delivering phone service that boasts cost savings and extra features over traditional telephone service operations. A VOIP service can probably be added to your existing network with minor software upgrades that shouldn’t mean too much out of pocket expense.

First of all, make sure you have enough speed to run the network. If your round trip time is never greater than 200ms, your network should be fast enough to handle VoIP and data traffic at the same time. Test by pinging devices both on your local LAN and your WAN.

Secondly, look at all the components of the VOIP network. You have:

PCs, PDAs, and file servers sharing the network with a telephony server.
Fax machine, VoIP soft phones and hard phones connected to the network with an analog telephone adapter.
Your PCs, PDAs and laptop all able to call through any VoIP phone on the network
Your PCs, PDAs and laptop can also place calls to regular telephones through either the telephony server or the long distance provider’s telephone switch.
Here are a couple of added notes with other details about VOIP networking. First, check with your equipment manuals for QOS and COS compatibility and replace any devices that do not support either one. Also, you need to secure your network as you do other similar areas, so check with your own systems to see which options work best for securing your network.

Once you install your VoIP network, you will be able to offer additional services to clients, friends, family and others who’d like to save bucks and get even more for their hard-earned money.

Why Should You Use VoIP?

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:58:00 +0000

The main reasons most people are choosing to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) are to save money and to get increased functionality.

With increased Internet access and speed, more people are trying to take advantage of services like VoIP that can consider long distance and even international calls as if they were local; i.e. no extra charges, as long as the other party is using a compatible operating system (like headphones that plug in or software to use the system, etc.)

Money-Saving Features
Benefits of the majority of VoIP service providers include unlimited usage plans. That means for around $15 - $30 per month, you can get unlimited long distance for under $30 per month! Although most of these plans target calls for the USA and Canada, some providers do offer international unlimited plans or specially priced packages.

Another plus is that since VoIP providers lack high overhead costs, like the operating of large company networks, and they can and do pass their savings along to their customers. And so far to date, VoIP providers are not subject to the rigid and often high regulatory and tax restrictions that regular telephone service providers; i.e. they don’t have to pay the same fees and taxes as landline operations need to on a 24/7 basis. So they pass these savings along to customers, too.

Increased Functionality
VoIP offers a variety of awesome features over landline operations. You don’t have to stick with the same area code, for instance. Or you can add additional areas codes to your plan, saving family members and business contacts who would otherwise be long distance a lot of money long term.

Other nice features are:

Affordable Conference Calls – Although this feature can come with standard landline phone service, it can be expensive. Not so with VoIP; many VoIP plans offer 3-way or more-way calling at no extra charge.

Web-based voice mail – This allows you to listen to your voice mail from any personal computer that is connected to the Internet, no matter whether it has high speed or dial up access.

Softphone – This device allows you to take your phone service on the road. You can access your VoIP service from any personal computer with high speed access by plugging in your phone or headset.

So check out VoIP today join the club. Join the smart people who are saving more money and getting more functionality with their phone service!

How To Choose The Right Kind Of VoIP Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:57:00 +0000

When you choose to sign up for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service, you may need to make the choice between several different types of phones. This article presents a brief overview some of the latest USB VoIP phones, cordless IP phones and wireless Wi-Fi IP phones and then qualities to watch for when choosing one.

Brief Overview
A “hard” phone is a physical device that looks much like a regular telephone except that it understands IP and some other protocols and plugs into the IP data network, not a regular phone jack. These phones cost and can be purchased from vendors like Cisco.

A “softphone” is a software application that runs on your PC. It works in conjunction with Internet access, a microphone, sound card and speakers. Some big name softphone companies are Tellme are Gizmo Project and Counterpath’s X-Lite.

While most VoIP phones need you to be connected to your PC via a USB cable, a cordless VoIP phone allows you to walk around, transmitting via a wireless signal. The phone can be used for either PC-to-PC or PC-to-Phone calling.

Wireless Wi-Fi IP phones are also called Wireless Fidelity and WiFi. Wi-Fi (short for “wireless fidelity”) is a term for certain types of wireless local area network (WLAN); Wi-Fi was created by an organization called the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Qualities To Watch For When Choosing an IP Phone
The amount of features and benefits and the degree of each offered per phone, help determine price and value. So check to see which features come with models that interest you, to see if you are getting good quality for the price. Top features and benefits to look for include:

- Voice quality is good and loud enough; no echoes
- Speaker phone capabilities; again no echoes
- 3 way conference call capability
- Speed dial – that works well!
- Readable LED display
- Documentation should be easy to read and understand
- Efficient operation (i.e. not slow)
- User-unfriendly web page
- Fair price for value
- Good looks for good quality phone (i.e. no poorly-built, cheap buttons that you need to hit with hammer to activate)
- Equipment works with firewall intact
- Good configuration, functionality, stability, and codec support (for example, it shouldn’t need constant rebooting or maintenance)

Learn what you can about VOIP service and phones, because VOIP today means a choice between several different types of phones. Before you rush out and choose one of the latest USB VoIP phones, cordless IP phones or wireless Wi-Fi IP phones, check out the features and benefits offered, read online reviews, and then choose qualities that you want to work for you.

VoIP Conferencing… What Is It, And Should You Use It?

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:55:00 +0000

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) conference software comes in two basic varieties: free and commercial. Based upon feedback and reviews from users, the majority found that the free VoIP conference software packages are generally more difficult to setup and use (i.e. need to take learning curve into consideration). And the commercial VoIP conference software packages are most often easy to learn, install and use (i.e. not much of a learning curve), however, they come with setup fees and recurring costs for conference room access.

Here are some main features to look for with VoIP conferencing:

Monthly Fee - $17 - $25 seems about average, with unlimited service packages. Those offering timed packages run 200-500 minutes ranging from $10 a month to around $20.

Web Conferencing Lite - Some companies offer a “lite” package for no charge or a lesser rate. It usually doesn’t have all the other features as a “full” package.

Recording Download - Some packages come with recordings available for free download. Others charge for them.

Dial-in Playback – Most have this feature and you pay for it per minute, averaging 3.9 to 6.9 cents per minute per line.

Multiple Sets of Conference Codes – Some services give you multiple codes to use throughout your subscription. Others require that you have a new account for each set of codes.

Participant Limit – This seems to vary between 125 and 225 per conference call.

Live Call – Most offer this feature of hosting live calls versus recorded ones.

Management online – There should be a system of numbered management, like press #3 to mute callers.

Toll-Free Rates – Some offer toll-free numbers for you to use, and the per-minute rate might be higher accordingly. Could be worth checking in out!

Reservations Required –Some ask for this and you need to schedule your conferences. Others don’t require reservations.

Outdial – This can be helpful if you need to dial out during the conference, like to hook up with an absent member.

Custom Greeting – Most offer this feature to allow you to set up a greeting for our callers.

Lecture Mode – This is a must-have feature, so you can block out sounds from other callers while the speaker is talking, uninterrupted.

Canadian Rates / Alaskan Rates / Hawaiian Rates – Check into these packaged with the USA plus check into international rates if you’ll have international callers. A 3.9-cent per minute rate for the USA and Canada is excellent.

Setup Fee – Most have no set up fees or they offer deals with rebates or charges waived.

Contract – Many will have some type of deal where you are required to pay a fee if you cancel within a year, so read carefully before signing up.

Cancellation Fee – Some have fees if you cancel within a year, varies between $39.95 and $59.95.

Minimum Usage – Most have zero minimum usage requirements.

So remember: you can get free VOIP conference software, but sometimes commercial VoIP conference software is better. Which option you choose depends upon your budget and time for learning systems. So take at least a little time-out to see which would work best for your needs.

VoIP Adapters - Using An Analog Phone With VOIP

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:53:00 +0000

An adapter with at least one FXS port or telephone jack that connects a standard telephone and an ethernet jack that connects the adapter to the LAN is the most common analog telephone adapter. And you can connect a standard phone with a device like an ATA, which communicates directly with a VoIP server and does not require any software to be run on a personal computer, like a softphone, to a remote VoIP server.

The ATA conveys information via the remote VoIP server using VoIP protocols like SIP, MGCP, H.323 and IAX. Then it encodes and decodes voice signals with voice codec: gsm, ILBC, ulaw, alaw, etc.

FXS to USB Adapters

Hook up your phone with your person computer (pc). To hook up an FXS port / telephone jack to a standard telephone and a USB connector to a pc adapter, an FXS to USB adapter is the choice to use. Note that although FXS connects to Ethernet gateways, FXS to USB adapters do not communicate directly with VoIP servers. Software is necessary in order for the equipment to work, generally a softphone. This software then conveys the information via the remote VoIP server, performing the voice encoding and decoding. FXS to USB adapters do need drivers (software) which may not be available nor compatible across all operating systems and system platforms, so check in advance to coordinate your systems.

FXS to Dialup Adapters

Hook up with dialup. You can hook up an FXS to a dialup adapter, a unit with at least one FXS port / telephone jack that links the standard telephone and one FXO port with a built-in dialup modem to convey information via the dialup ISP. With this type ATA, it is possible to connect a standard phone with remote VoIP servers. The ATA then transmits via the remote VoIP server using a VoIP protocols; H.323, SIP, MGCP or IAX. And it encodes and decodes voice signals with codec; gsm, ILBC, G723.1, etc. Good news is that no software is needed, since ATAs work directly in conjunction with VoIP servers.

How To Use Skype’s Conference Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:52:00 +0000

Skype is a free Voip (voice over internet protocol) service with downloadable software for conferencing at http://www.skype.com. The popular “Skype Me!” service allows people around the globe to hook up for free (in 27 countries at the time of this writing) using global telephony via the internet to anyone else who also has the Skype service. You can also call landlines with Skype on your computer for a small amount per minute as compared with regular phone service rates. Easy to use, Skype can be downloaded and used with almost any computer system.

Download and Installation Instructions

Turn on your computer and follow these steps:

1. Go to Skype.com and download their free software.
2. Click and install the software on your hard drive following their step-by-step automated instructions, as the software configures itself for your computer system and network.
3. Register with Skype and get a user ID.
4. Get a headset for your computer (eBay has a variety of inexpensive kinds & sound quality is awesome, so you shouldn’t have to worry about cheap brands.)

How To Use Conferencing In Skype…

1. Open Skype. Head to “Tools” then “Create Conference”
2. “Conference Topic” - Create a name for your conference here in this box.
3. Then choose your Conference Participants (for the right-hand box) from the left-hand box of All Contacts, adding them individually until you get 2-4.
4. When you have all your participants, click the Start button at the bottom of the window.
5. Use same features as you would during regular calls during conference.
6. Call Record is available on the High Speed Plus+ service. You have to press *7 on the Dial Pad, or the RECORD button on the Conference Controls after you have signed into the service.
7. When finished, hit the End Call or red phone (bottom right) button.
8. A window will appear asking if you are sure you want to End Conference - answer accordingly.

Keep an eye out for upgrades that allow up to 10 callers per conference, plus option paid features with Vapps service to coordinate advanced usage features with Skype. For now, you sure can’t beat the free service, when it costs quite a bit to conference call with landline phones. Also, realize you direct dial and hook up everyone yourself, so there is no need for scheduling in advance and getting operator assistance. Plus, you have unlimited time to talk (most conferences require cut off after 4 hours) and don’t need any number or letter codes to enter to access the conferencing. Have fun conferencing!

Skype and Voip

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:35:00 +0000

Skype is a free Voip (voice over internet protocol) service with a website at: http://www.skype.com. In a nutshell, you can use Skype to make free phone calls (aka global telephony) via the internet to anyone else who also has the service, or for a minimal amount (compared with regular phone service) with people you call at landline numbers. Fairly easy to use with a small learning curve, Skype can be downloaded and used most computers.

To get Skype and use it, turn on your computer and follow these steps:

1. Head to Skype.com and download their free software. Remember where you downloaded it.
2. Go to where you downloaded the software, then install it on your hard drive. This process is automated, configuring itself for your computer system and network.
3. After you’re all set up, register with Skype and get a user name.
4. Search eBay and find an inexpensive headset for your computer. Sound quality is excellent, so you shouldn’t have to worry about cheapy models.

Skype’s standard features include:

- Free communication with other Skype users
- Free Profile sharing; your URL, phone, etc. as you like with other Skype users
- Conference calling with up to five Skype users at once
- File transfers between Skype users
- Chat aka instant messaging

Skype’s optional features include:

- SkypeOut - lets Skype users call standard landline phones – not free, but cheap.
- Skype Voicemail – lets Skype users leave voicemail messages for you; not free, but cheap.

Skpye Tips

People are starting to hook up with Skype and grow business all over the world. One popular means is to add your Skype ID to your signature(sig) file in your emails and on forums. In your Skype profile, let people know when you’re online, invite voicemail, etc. And reach out to communicate with others.

You need to invite others to add you to their Skype lists and vice versa. It’s not an automatic procedure. So be pro-active. And do agree to let others add your ID to their list. Then take care and be professional. Don’t take advantage of the other person’s time or contact information. Keep it confidential.

If you are not available, you can set your profile to read as such. That way others won’t bother you when your software is open on your computer.

So click here to try Skype today and reach out to Skype someone!

Technical details

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:05:00 +0000

The two major competing standards for VoIP are the ITU standard H.323 and the IETF standard SIP. Initially H.323 was the most popular protocol, though in the "local loop" it has since been surpassed by SIP. This was primarily due to the latter's better traversal of NAT and firewalls, although recent changes introduced for H.323 have removed this advantage.[citation needed]

However, in backbone voice networks where everything is under the control of the network operator or telco, H.323 is the protocol of choice. Many of the largest carriers use H.323 in their core backbones[citation needed], and the vast majority of callers have little or no idea that their POTS calls are being carried over VoIP.

Where VoIP travels through multiple providers' softswitches the concepts of Full Media Proxy and Signalling Proxy are important. In H.323, the data is made up of 3 streams of data: 1) H.225.0 Call Signaling; 2) H.245; 3) Media. So if you are in London, your provider is in Australia, and you wish to call America, then in full proxy mode all three streams will go half way around the world and the delay (up to 600 ms) and packet loss will be high. However in signaling proxy mode where only the signaling flows through the provider the delay will be reduced to a more userfriendly 120-150 ms.

One of the key issues with all traditional VoIP protocols is the wasted bandwidth used for packet headers. Typically, to send a G.723.1 5.6 kbit/s compressed audio path requires 18 kbit/s of bandwidth based on standard sampling rates. The difference between the 5.6 kbit/s and 18 kbit/s is packet headers. There are a number of bandwidth optimization techniques used, such as silence suppression and header compression. This can typically reduce transmitted data by 35%.

VoIP trunking techniques such as TDMoIP can reduce bandwidth overhead even further by multiplexing multiple conversations that are heading to the same destination and wrapping them up inside the same packets. Because the packet header overhead is shared between many simultaneous streams, TDMoIP can offer near toll quality audio with a per-stream packet header overhead of only about 1 kbit/s.

Telephone number for IP telephony in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Since September 2002, the MIC has assigned IP telephony telephone numbers on the condition that the service falls into certain required categories of quality. Highly qualified IP telephony is assigned a telephone number. Normally the number starts with 050. But, when its quality is so high that customer almost could not tell the difference between it and a normal telephone and when the provider relates its number with a location and provides the connection with emergency call capabilities, the provider is allowed to assign a normal telephone number, which is a so-called "0AB-J" number.

IP telephony in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:04:00 +0000

In Japan, IP telephony (IP電話, IP Denwa ?) is regarded as a service applied by VoIP technology to whole or a part of the telephone line. As of 2003, IP telephony services have been assigned telephone numbers. IP telephony services also often include videophone/video conferencing services. According to the Telecommunication Business Law, the service category for IP telephony also implies the service provided via Internet, which is not assigned any telephone number. IP telephony is basically regulated by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) as a telecommunication service. The operators have to disclose necessary information on its quality, etc., prior to making contracts with customers, and have an obligation to respond to their complaints cordially. Many Japanese Internet service providers (ISP) are including IP telephony services. An ISP who also provides IP telephony service is known as a "ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider)". Recently, the competition among ITSPs has been activated, by option or set sales, in connection with ADSL or FTTH services.

The tariff system normally applied to Japanese IP telephony is described below;

A call between IP telephony subscribers, limited to the same group, is usually free of charge.
A call from IP telephony subscribers to a fixed line or PHS is usually a uniformly fixed rate all over the country.
Between ITSPs, the interconnection is mostly maintained at VoIP level.

Where the IP telephony is assigned normal telephone number (0AB-J), the condition for its interconnection is considered same as normal telephony.
Where the IP telephony is assigned specific telephone number (050), the condition for its interconnection is described below;
Interconnection is sometimes charged. (Sometimes, it's free of charge.) In case of free-of-charge, mostly, communication traffic is exchanged via a P2P connection with the same VoIP standard. Otherwise, certain conversions are needed at the point of the VoIP gateway which incurs operating costs.

Legal issues in different countries

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:04:00 +0000

As the popularity of VoIP grows, and PSTN users switch to VoIP in increasing numbers, governments are becoming more interested in regulating VoIP in a manner similar to PSTN services,[10] especially with the encouragement of the state-mandated telephone monopolies/oligopolies in a given country, who see this as a way to stifle the new competition.

In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission now requires all interconnected VoIP service providers to comply with requirements comparable to those for traditional telecommunications service providers. VoIP operators in the U.S. are required to support local number portability; make service accessible to people with disabilities; pay regulatory fees, universal service contributions, and other mandated payments; and enable law enforcement authorities to conduct surveillance pursuant to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act(CALEA). VoIP operators also must provide Enhanced 911 service, disclose any limitations on their E-911 functionality to their consumers, and obtain affirmative acknowledgements of these disclosures from all consumers. VoIP operators also receive the benefit of certain U.S. telecommunications regulations, including an entitlement to interconnection and exchange of traffic with incumbent local exchange carriers via wholesale carriers. Providers of "nomadic" VoIP service -- those who are unable to determine the location of their users -- are exempt from state telecommunications regulation.[11]

Throughout the developing world, countries where regulation is weak or captured by the dominant operator, restrictions on the use of VoIP are imposed, including in Panama where VoIP is taxed, Guyana where VoIP is prohibited and India where its retail commercial sales is allowed but only for long distance service.[12] In Ethiopia, where the government is monopolizing telecommunication service, it is a criminal offense to offer services using VoIP. The country has installed firewalls to prevent international calls being made using VoIP. These measures were taken after a popularity in VoIP reduced the income generated by the state owned telecommunication company.

In the European Union, the treatment of VoIP service providers is a decision for each Member State's national telecoms regulator, which must use competition law to define relevant national markets and then determine whether any service provider on those national markets has "significant market power" (and so should be subject to certain obligations). A general distinction is usually made between VoIP services that function over managed networks (via broadband connections) and VoIP services that function over unmanaged networks (essentially, the Internet).

VoIP services that function over managed networks are often considered to be a viable substitute for PSTN telephone services (despite the problems of power outages and lack of geographical information); as a result, major operators that provide these services (in practice, incumbent operators) may find themselves bound by obligations of price control or accounting separation.

VoIP services that function over unmanaged networks are often considered to be too poor in quality to be a viable substitute for PSTN services; as a result, they may be provided without any specific obligations, even if a service provider has "significant market power".

The relevant EU Directive is not clearly drafted concerning obligations which can exist independently of market power (e.g., the obligation to offer access to emergency calls), and it is impossible to say definitively whether VoIP service providers of either type are bound by them. A review of the EU Directive is under way and should be complete by 2007.

In India, it is legal to use VoIP, but it is illegal to have VoIP gateways inside India. This effectively means that people who have PCs can use them to make a VoIP call to any number, but if the remote side is a normal phone, the gateway that converts the VoIP call to a POTS call should not be inside India.

In the UAE, it is illegal to use any form of VoIP, to the extent that websites of Skype and Gizmo Project don't work.

In the Republic of Korea, only providers registered with the government are authorized to offer VoIP services. Unlike many VoIP providers, most of whom offer flat rates, Korean VoIP services are generally metered and charged at rates similar to terrestrial calling. Foreign VoIP providers such as Vonage encounter high barriers to government registration. This issue came to a head in 2006 when internet service providers providing personal internet services by contract to United States Forces Korea members residing on USFK bases threatened to block off access to VoIP services used by USFK members of as an economical way to keep in contact with their families in the United States, on the grounds that the service members' VoIP providers were not registered. A compromise was reached between USFK and Korean telecommunications officials in January 2007, wherein USFK service members arriving in Korea before June 1, 2007 and subscribing to the ISP services provided on base may continue to use their U.S.-based VoIP subscription, but later arrivals must use a Korean-based VoIP provider, which by contract will offer pricing similar to the flat rates offered by U.S. VoIP providers.

Click to call

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Click-to-call is a service which lets users click a button and immediately speak with a customer service representative. The call can either be carried over VoIP, or the customer may request an immediate call back by entering their phone number. One significant benefit to click-to-call providers is that it allows companies to monitor when online visitors change from the website to a phone sales channel.

Use in Amateur Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Sometimes called Radio Over Internet Protocol or RoIP, Amateur radio has adopted VoIP by linking repeaters and users with Echolink, IRLP, D-STAR, Dingotel and EQSO. In fact, Echolink allows users to connect to repeaters via their computer (over the Internet) rather than by using a radio. By using VoIP Amateur Radio operators are able to create large repeater networks with repeaters all over the world where operators can access the system with actual ham radios.

Ham Radio operators using radios are able to tune to repeaters with VoIP capabilities and use DTMF signals to command the repeater to connect to various other repeaters, thus allowing them to talk to people all around the world, even with "line of sight" VHF radios.

Corporate and telco use

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:03:00 +0000

Although few office environments and even fewer homes use a pure VoIP infrastructure, telecommunications providers routinely use IP telephony, often over a dedicated IP network, to connect switching stations, converting voice signals to IP packets and back. The result is a data-abstracted digital network which the provider can easily upgrade and use for multiple purposes.

Corporate customer telephone support often use IP telephony exclusively to take advantage of the data abstraction. The benefit of using this technology is the need for only one class of circuit connection and better bandwidth use. Companies can acquire their own gateways to eliminate third-party costs, which is worthwhile in some situations.

VoIP is widely employed by carriers, especially for international telephone calls. It is commonly used to route traffic starting and ending at conventional PSTN telephones.

Many telecommunications companies are looking at the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) which will merge Internet technologies with the mobile world, using a pure VoIP infrastructure. It will enable them to upgrade their existing systems while embracing Internet technologies such as the Web, email, instant messaging, presence, and video conferencing. It will also allow existing VoIP systems to interface with the conventional PSTN and mobile phones.

Electronic Numbering (ENUM) uses standard phone numbers (E.164), but allows connections entirely over the Internet. If the other party uses ENUM, the only expense is the Internet connection. Virtual PBX (or IP PBX) allow companies to control their internal phone network over an existing LAN and server without needing to wire a separate telephone network. Users within this environment can then use standard telephones coupled with an FXS, IP Phones connected to a data port or a Softphone on their PC. Internal VoIP phone networks allow outbound and inbound calling on standard PSTN lines through the use of FXO adapters.

Mass-market telephony

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:03:00 +0000

A major development starting in 2004 has been the introduction of mass-market VoIP services over broadband Internet access services, in which subscribers make and receive calls as they would over the PSTN. Full phone service VoIP phone companies provide inbound and outbound calling with Direct Inbound Dialing. Many offer unlimited calling to the U.S., and some to Canada or selected countries in Europe or Asia as well, for a flat monthly fee.

These services take a wide variety of forms which can be more or less similar to traditional POTS. At one extreme, an analog telephone adapter (ATA) may be connected to the broadband Internet connection and an existing telephone jack in order to provide service nearly indistinguishable from POTS on all the other jacks in the residence. This type of service, which is fixed to one location, is generally offered by broadband Internet providers such as cable companies and telephone companies as a cheaper flat-rate traditional phone service. Often the phrase "VoIP" is not used in selling these services, but instead the industry has marketed the phrases "Internet Phone", "Digital Phone" or "Softphone" which is aimed at typical phone users who are not necessarily tech-savvy. Typically, the provider touts the advantage of being able to keep one's existing phone number.

At the other extreme are services like Gizmo Project and Skype which rely on a software client on the computer in order to place a call over the network, where one user ID can be used on many different computers or in different locations on a laptop. In the middle lie services which also provide a telephone adapter for connecting to the broadband connection similar to the services offered by broadband providers (and in some cases also allow direct connections of SIP phones) but which are aimed at a more tech-savvy user and allow portability from location to location. One advantage of these two types of services is the ability to make and receive calls as one would at home, anywhere in the world, at no extra cost. No additional charges are incurred, as call diversion via the PSTN would, and the called party does not have to pay for the call. For example, if a subscriber with a home phone number in the U.S. or Canada calls someone else within his local calling area, it will be treated as a local call regardless of where that person is in the world. Often the user may elect to use someone else's area code as his own to minimize phone costs to a frequently called long-distance number.

For some users, the broadband phone complements, rather than replaces, a PSTN line, due to a number of inconveniences compared to traditional services. VoIP requires a broadband Internet connection and, if a telephone adapter is used, a power adapter is usually needed. In the case of a power failure, VoIP services will generally not function. Additionally, a call to an emergency services number may not automatically be routed to the nearest local emergency dispatch center. Some VoIP providers only handle emergency call for one country. Some VoIP providers offer users the ability to register their address so that emergency services work as expected.

Another challenge for these services is the proper handling of outgoing calls from fax machines, DVR boxes, satellite television receivers, alarm systems, conventional modems or FAXmodems, and other similar devices that depend on access to a voice-grade telephone line for some or all of their functionality. At present, these types of calls sometimes go through without any problems, but in other cases they will not go through at all. And in some cases, this equipment can be made to work over a VoIP connection if the sending speed can be changed to a lower bits per second rate. If VoIP and cellular substitution becomes very popular, some ancillary equipment makers may be forced to redesign equipment, because it would no longer be possible to assume a conventional voice-grade telephone line would be available in almost all homes in North America and western Europe. The TestYourVoIP Web site offers a free service to test the quality of or diagnose an Internet connection by placing simulated VoIP calls from any Java-enabled Web browser, or from any phone or VoIP device capable of calling the PSTN.

VoIM

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Voice over Instant Messaging (VoIM) presents VoIP as one communication mode among several, with an IM user interface (contact list and presence) as the primary user experience. Many instant messenger services added client-to-client or client-to-PSTN VoIP in the mid-2000s.

Caller ID

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:02:00 +0000

Caller ID support among VoIP providers varies, although the majority of VoIP providers now offer full caller ID with name on outgoing calls. When calling a PSTN number from some VoIP providers, caller ID is not supported.

In a few cases, VoIP providers may allow a caller to spoof the caller ID information, potentially making calls appear as though they are from a number that does not belong to the caller. Business grade VoIP equipment and software often makes it easy to modify caller ID information. Although this can provide many businesses great flexibility, it is also open to abuse.

Pre-paid phone cards

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:02:00 +0000

VoIP has become an important technology for phone services to travelers, migrant workers and expatriates, who either, due to not having a fixed or mobile phone or high overseas roaming charges, choose instead to use VoIP services to make their phone calls. Pre-paid phone cards can be used either from a normal phone or from Internet cafes that have phone services. Developing countries and areas with high tourist or immigrant communities generally have a higher uptake.

Security

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Many consumer VoIP solutions do not support encryption yet, although having a secure phone is much easier to implement with VoIP than traditional phone lines. As a result, it is relatively easy to eavesdrop on VoIP calls and even change their content.[9] There are several open source solutions that facilitate sniffing of VoIP conversations. A modicum of security is afforded due to patented audio codecs that are not easily available for open source applications, however such security through obscurity has not proven effective in the long run in other fields. Some vendors also use compression to make eavesdropping more difficult. However, real security requires encryption and cryptographic authentication which are not widely available at a consumer level. The existing secure standard SRTP and the new ZRTP protocol is available on Analog Telephone Adapters(ATAs) as well as various softphones. It is possible to use IPsec to secure P2P VoIP by using opportunistic encryption. Skype does not use SRTP, but uses encryption which is transparent to the Skype provider.

The Voice VPN solution provides secure voice for enterprise VoIP networks by applying IPSec encryption to the digitized voice stream.

Mobile phones & Hand held Devices

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Telcos and consumers have invested billions of dollars in mobile phone equipment. In developed countries, mobile phones have achieved nearly complete market penetration, and many people are giving up landlines and using mobiles exclusively. Given this situation, it is not entirely clear whether there would be a significant higher demand for VoIP among consumers until either public or community wireless networks have similar geographical coverage to cellular networks (thereby enabling mobile VoIP phones, so called WiFi phones or VoWLAN) or VoIP is implemented over 3G networks. However, "dual mode" telephone sets, which allow for the seamless handover between a cellular network and a WiFi network, are expected to help VoIP become more popular.[7]

Phones like the NEC N900iL, and later many of the Nokia Eseries and several WiFi enabled mobile phones have SIP clients hardcoded into the firmware. Such clients operate independently of the mobile phone network unless a network operator decides to remove the client in the firmware of a heavily branded handset. Some operators such as Vodafone actively try to block VoIP traffic from their network[8] and therefore most VoIP calls from such devices are done over WiFi.

Several WiFi only IP hardphones exist, most of them supporting either Skype or the SIP protocol. These phones are intended as a replacement for PSTN based cordless phones but can be used anywhere where WiFi internet access is available.

Another addition to hand held devices are ruggedized bar code type devices that are used in warehouses and retail environments. These type of devices rely on "inside the 4 walls" type of VoIP services that do not connect to the outside world and are solely to be used from employee to employee communications.

Voip phone accessibility and portability

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:00:00 +0000

If using a software based soft-phone, calls can only be placed from the computer on which the soft-phone software resides. Thus with a soft-phone the caller is typically limited to a single point of calling. When using a hardware based VoIP phone-device/ phone-adapter it is possible to connect traditional analog phones directly to a VoIP phone-adapter without the need to operate a computer. The converted analog phone signal can then be connected to multiple house phones or extensions, just as any traditional phone company signal can be connected. A second VoIP hardware configuration option involves the use of a specially designed VoIP telephone which incorporates a VoIP phone adapter directly into the phone itself, and which also does not require the use of a computer. A third VoIP hardware configuration option involves the use of a WiFi router and a WiFi SIP phone which can extend a service range throughout a home or office. WiFi SIP phones can also be used at any location where an "unauthenticated" open hotspot Wi-Fi signal is available.[5] However, note that many hotspots require browser-based authentication, which most SIP phones do not support

Integration into global telephone number system

noreply@blogger.com (Lives Football) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:59:00 +0000

While the wired public switched telephone network (PSTN) and mobile phone networks share a common global standard (E.164) which allocates and identifies any specific telephone line, there is no widely adopted similar standard for VoIP networks. Some allocate an E.164 number which can be used for VoIP as well as incoming and external calls. However, there are often different, incompatible schemes when calling between VoIP providers which use provider-specific short codes.