VOIP Information

VOIP put simply is the transmission of voice traffic over an IP based network, converting the analogue voice into digital signals.

An IP network is simply a data protocol of digital information which is then deduced to images/sound by the machine that handles the data. IP networks were never intended to be used for voice transmissions, however with the growing capacity of the internet and the ever increasing speeds of transmissions this is becoming easier and cheaper as time goes on.

In short, VOIP is cheaper and often can deliver clearer quality signals than traditional telecom lines. Using IP networks for voice communications allows the voice to be sent as digital signals (binary) across the network instead of having to use traditional phone lines. If however your destination caller is using a traditional phone line the VOIP call will be routed through a router which will turn your signals back into analogue signals for the PSTN (public switched telephone network), these types of calls will not be as cheap as PC to PC calls (which are often free) however they will still be cheaper than traditional calls using a telephone line.

VOIP is often free PC to PC if the consumer does not require a telephone number that is callable outside the VOIP network, probably the best known example of VOIP is the Skype network which is owned by the Ebay Corp. With Skype you can call other Skype members for free, however if you want to call landlines or want a dial in number available to landlines then there is a subscription fee and sometimes a call cost, however the cost of VOIP in comparison to standard landline charges is multiples lower.

Mobile phones are very similar to VOIP where the calling infrastructure shares many common features to VOIP. However mobile connections are more expensive due to the infrastructure complexity that is required for mobile connections. Because a PC to PC device is generally permanently plugged in to the internet there is no need for the signals to be transmitted wirelessly via satellite as is required for mobile devices, thus the extra expense to route the calls is translated to the consumer in the price of the mobile devices and the calling plans.