Slashdot Mirror
The Continued Advance of VoIP
A reader writes: "With the recent VoIP ruling from the FCC, it appears that the playing field in the US is ready for take off. There's been some more coverage on that, but companies are begining to wonder about how to manage all of this - but PMC-Sierra (one of the big chip makers) has announced additional support for it."
My company has been on VOIP globally for a while now. Definitely reaching critical mass now.
The system would not work outside the Western world, though, with the spotty coverage, limited bandwidth and power (electricity) problems that do exist.
I am looking at becoming a niche VOIP provider for certain a few very small niches. THese include people in the US who have no other telephony or internet options other than satelite. I am amazed how a business can spend $6000/yr for telephone charges when they only have one line....
VOIP has a few problems and there are many environments where I think that conventional circuit-switched connections offer better value, but there are also times where it is completely indispensable.
However, the rise of VOIP will force, in many places, telecoms to cut costs and become more competitive. THis is extremely good. It will be hard on them because they are used to owning the lines and having monopoly power, and they are no longer a monopoly (they aren't in my county anyway due to the county-owned fiber network which allows a choice of telecom providers and hence lower costs and better choice).
LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
There is no reason why you need these big companies providing services to you, unless it's just for convienience.
After all the internet is not a client server model, it's a peer to peer model. Meaning that when your computer is connected to the internet is as much as a part of the internet as any service provider.
That's why VoIP in it's current form: as a phone call over the internet will die. It's a fine replacement for POTS, but we are capable of so much more.
Full on video/audio connections are possible with the higher speed connections that DSL/Cable provides, also with the rise of WiFi networks in cities and such you will soon get the same connectivity on a hand-held.
My personal prediction is that Voip is a flash in the pan technology. A in between technology that will be replaced by something else within 10 years. POTS will outlast it, but only because of the needs of rural people, and that's were VoIP will end up being used, as a interface between the city people with easy access to wifi and rural communities with no such quick and cheap access.
As far as disappearing to be replaced by something else, that's a problem too. An analysis of FCC and industry data will show you the lifetime on such telecom equipment is VERY long - in many cases longer than a decade. So it will last, if for no other reason than "something else" isn't that much better, so it doesn't cost justify.
The real key here is that POTS is in trouble. The number of lines is going down (due to wireless) and the corporations are in a rush to Voice over IP. Why? Becuase it's cheaper, and the amount of voice traffic is now dwarfed by the data traffic. Thus, you can carry the voice traffic on the data network and completely eliminate the voice network. You can even do it with high quality of service for the voice, and it works because it's such a small percentage of the total network traffic. Expect some big announcements over the next year.
Well, programs were fine if everyone you wanted to talk to had a computer and if you were willing to use a computer to talk through. VOIP in its current form frees us of this requirement.
I just recently subscribed to Vonage (a VOIP provider in the USA). Having moved recently from a city in Canada to the USA, I knew my wife and kids would be calling home often, ramping up my phone bills. So, I ordered up my Cable modem, ordered my Vonage and 3 days later opened the box that FedEx dropped off at my place and installed the VOIP router. As it is, you can plug a phone right into the VOIP router's phone jack and start talking but this limits you to the single phone (unless you get the cordless phones with multiple phones and one main base station. What I did was I disconnected the Telco from my local phone loop (the loop of phones in your house that all connect to the telco's line at a box in your basement). I then plugged the VOIP phoen connector into the wall phone jack. Since all phone jacks are on the same circuit, I was able to get dialtone from anywhere in the house. So, my family can use the phones plugged in to any phone jack in the house. (*** It is important that you disconnect the Telco from your phone lines as it could damage the VOIP router).
One additional feature I ordered with my Vonage is a Virtual phone number. I ordered a phone number which is local to Toronto, Ontario (where I lived) which rings on my phone in the USA. All of my friends and relatives can now call that as a local number and pay no long distance (I can get up to about 4 or 5 virtual numbers in North America). I can call anywhere in the USA and Canada with no long distance. So, I pay $29.95 + about $1.50 tax each month and that's all..
The other great thing with VOIP is that I can take my router with me on vacation. As long as there's high-speed interent where I am (many hotels offer this), I can plug it in and receive calls made to my home number(s) and place calls as if I were calling from home..
So yes, VOIP really IS that interesting! I get every feature imaginable (voicemail, caller ID, 3 way calling, call forwarding, etc.) without paying a single penny extra. Wires? The only wires needed are between the cable modem, the VOIP router and a wireless base. Stick them in a corner somewhere if ya want!