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VoIP Going Wireless
imashoe writes "CNet's News.com reports on the wireless future of VoIP. Similarly BonaFideReviews.com has published an interesting article that attempts to predict what the future of voice communications will be like. The two editorals seem to agree that VoIP is going mobile and in a big way."
More proof that information wants to be free, barring going regulation and taxation.
Here's why we need to keep the ISP free of local, state and federal bondage. You can expect the legal monopoly telcos and cable companies to have more restrictions placed on third party ISPs. Phone calls are a cash cow still.
On the other hand, the cellular companies can probably find wireless VoIP profitable as they're better prepared to add WiFi to existing antenna structures.
This is going to open up cheaper communications, which will give us all more cash in our pockets and more services to make us more efficient in our work and play lives.
I can only hope those with legislative power can keep their dirty paws (and those of their friends) off.
If you want, you can run a free VoIP quality test at http://testyourvoip.com/. So if you have wireless, or want to place a VoIP call over your Cell data link (for whatever perverse reason) you can check your quality before setting it all up if you have a web browser with Java enabled.
-ben
Got my vonage router and a cordless phone..
:-P
Hey, it IS wireless..
Knowing how weather is prone to interfere with cellular communications right now, how are they going to make wireless VoIP proof against mother nature?
And I can really imagine how much it's going to suck if lightning takes out a tower.
Really, we don't even have widespread wifi access across the country. What's the point of doing this now when the infrastructure doesn't fully exist in all areas?
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
My parents got VoIP installed not to long ago. I immediately noticed a huge drop in connection stability.
:|
Not to mention whenever our Internet service goes out, so does our phone service.
You actually likely talking about the same thing, although you're not aware of it. Spring uses SIP. Nextel uses iDen which also rides over TCP/IP.
Mobile VOIP is not news. It's not even old news. More like 10 year-old news.
Although the tech for seemless network handoff is tricky, I think the main issue to adoption is resistance from the cellular networks who stand to lose a fortune.
One of these days I'm moving to Theory - everything works there
Voip over Wifi is a fact. You could be doing it right now using a SIP based program and your PDA. Good? No, of course its going to have to improve. But whats *is* important about it is right now I carry two devices in my pocket at any given time, a cellphone and a wifi enabled PDA. Both basically do the same thing, only the PDA does more and does some of the same things only better (contacts, calandering, etc).
Which do you think I rather carry?
Data communication isn't going to be going away, why should I have a device that can do the bare minimum but makes phone calls when I could in the not-to-distant future have both?
FTR, I'm not exactly a gadget guy, I legitmately need these for work. I'm a systems admin and bad things have a way of happening at inopportune times.
Quack, quack.
Bah, I'll bite; I'm bored.
When you talk 'secure' do you mean secure from someone with a radio scanner? CDMA, GSM, and all their 'descendents' have that already.
And don't tell me that the encryption can be broken. It takes highly complex, expensive equipment to do that.
Anyhow... I would imagine the police can simply get a warrant and tap the call at the carrier's switch. Sure, SIP could be used to support end-to-end encryption, but cell phones are roughly as secure as a land line. I dare say cellular may be *more* secure! Here's my rationale: Cellular interception (from phone to tower) requires, say a $50K scanner, complex radio equipment and software. Land-line interception takes a pocket knife, a spare phone and a couple of alligator clips.
mmmm, FUD.
I'm done with sigs. Sigs are lame.
Several Months ago I made the switch to primus-talkbroad band voip. (34$Can tax in per month) Unlimited local and north american calling. Voice mail, email relay of voice mail, 5 way calling, local numbers you can dial to access free long distance services, private web porthole with phone book, log and settings ( I wish they had a cell navigable version ) and more. I have a cell for if or when my internet dies. I have to have one any way it pays for itself in gained work. Anyway quality is for all intensive purposes as good as a land line and not nearly as bad as a cell phone. Computers are proving to be the ultimate in communication tools.
Hello. The air interface between the "phone" and the "tower" is encrypted. But the interface between the "towers" A and B is not. What you need is to put an antenna behind the tower B at the same line of sight. After that it gets easier.
So there is no need at all to do real-time decryption if you can place your receiver properly (such as in space, in low orbit over the horizon, where the EM waves ultimately will travel to).