| While not absolutely necessary, a broadband Internet | | | | cable companies creeping onto their turf, and the |
| connection is what makes your Internet phone calls | | | | slow but sure acceptance of VoIP in the general |
| reliable, and understandable. VoIP uses a traffic | | | | population, the Telcos seem to think they need to |
| engineering term called Quality of Service (QoS) that | | | | get the money where they can. |
| refers to the implementation of controls to ensure | | | | In January of 07, the Senate reintroduced the |
| that delay sensitive IP packets are prioritized as they | | | | Internet Freedom Preservation Act. One of the |
| flow through the pipe. To forgo these controls would | | | | provisions called for, is that all broadband service |
| result in acoustic problems like jitter and echo, as well | | | | providers offer consumers standalone broadband |
| as dropped calls. Because a broadband pipe is much | | | | service. If this Net Neutrality bill passes, DSL could |
| larger than a dial up connection, there is much more | | | | prove to be a viable option for those wishing to |
| throughput capacity, or space, to allow us to | | | | switch to VoIP. |
| prioritize. | | | | Wireless networks also provide ample bandwidth for |
| There are basically three ways for the residential | | | | VoIP telephony, and their value is most appreciated in |
| consumer to obtain a broadband Internet connection. | | | | the life of the Road Warrior. People who constantly |
| From your cable television provider, your telephone | | | | travel, weather for business or pleasure, are finding |
| company, or a wireless broadband network such as | | | | Wi-Fi hotspots popping up everywhere. Most modern |
| Clearwire, a Wi-Fi hotspot, or even a cellular network | | | | hotels have their own wireless network, and Internet |
| likes Verizon or Cingular. With these options becoming | | | | cafes are becoming an international phenomenon. |
| increasingly more wide spread, utilizing the Internet to | | | | Travelers that find a hotspot have the choice of |
| route your phone calls has also become a viable and | | | | using their laptop and a headset to communicate |
| cost saving alternative to traditional landline telephony. | | | | over the Internet, or to use one of the many |
| Now the question becomes, which type of | | | | Internet Phones found on the market today. |
| broadband service is best suited for voice over | | | | Metropolitan Wireless Broadband networks are also |
| Internet protocol. | | | | proliferating nation wide. Clearwire Wireless |
| Since the advent of cable television, cable companies | | | | Broadband is a company that uses a combination of |
| have contributed enormously to the development of | | | | Non Line of Site (NLOS) and its own proprietary |
| the worlds Wide Area Networks (WANs), adding | | | | technology to cover whole cities, even regions of the |
| broadband Internet to their list of services offered. | | | | country. Let it be known however, that this |
| Indeed, with the development of VoIP, they have | | | | technology has been met with mixed reviews. |
| even blurred the lines of the telecommunications | | | | If youve visited a college campus recently, you may |
| Industry. The cable modem, and its Coax Cable pipe, | | | | have noticed tiny antennas sticking up from the |
| have ushered the Internet into the Jet Age with | | | | rooftops every few meters. Campuses today have |
| Internet service at the speed of light. | | | | their own Wi-Fi networks, allowing students, faculty |
| A cable company WAN consists of neighborhoods | | | | and administrators to make VoIP phone calls via their |
| connected to nodes, each node having its allotted | | | | laptop, or an Internet phone, from anywhere on |
| amount of bandwidth. The cable pipe is about the | | | | campus. |
| largest to be had for the residential consumer and is | | | | The Cellular Networks built by companies like Verizon, |
| plenty big enough for the clearest of VoIP phone | | | | Sprint, and Cingular, have proliferated all over the |
| calls. However, the bigger the neighborhood grows, | | | | world and indeed blanket most developed population |
| and the more people that connect to the pipe, the | | | | areas. Cell phones have been introduced by Nokia, |
| less bandwidth is available for each household. Cable | | | | Samsung, and most recently the Apple iPhone, that |
| companies are generally very good about distributing | | | | are capable of switching (in some cases seamlessly) |
| bandwidth and will add more nodes when necessary. | | | | from a cellular network to a Wi-Fi hotspot and back. |
| Their network is, after all, their bread and butter. Just | | | | However, it is the Cellular companies that control the |
| be aware that at peak traffic times, VoIP call quality | | | | airwaves. |
| can degrade. | | | | Cingular Wireless (soon to be at&t wireless) already |
| The Digital Subscriber Line, or DSL, is the residential | | | | utilizes phones with quad band and Wi-Fi support, and |
| broadband solution offered by the traditional | | | | will be the carrier for the much anticipated Apple |
| telephone companies such as AT&T, the regional | | | | iPhone. While the cell phone networks seem to have |
| bells, and others like Quest Communications for | | | | been dragging their feet on implementing full support |
| example. For years the Telcos have had the upper | | | | of VoIP for the consumer, there are technological |
| hand in the business community, connecting their | | | | issues to be considered, as well as how they will |
| networks to the outside world via a T1 line, which is | | | | profit from the technology. |
| the equivalent bandwidth wise to a cable modem. | | | | Once the broadband pipe has been decided upon, |
| DSL is somewhat slower than a cable modem, and in | | | | there is still the issue of picking a VoIP service |
| fact, in some communities is offered at 2 speeds. It | | | | provider. Cable companies, Telcos, and increasingly |
| also tends to be somewhat cheaper. Nevertheless, | | | | cellular companies all offer their own VoIP service to |
| there is still ample bandwidth to implement VoIP | | | | consumers, and since their service is over their own |
| successfully. | | | | networks, they are in an excellent position to deal |
| DSL is not affected by node saturation like cable | | | | with Quality of Service issues. |
| networks, but it is distance sensitive. The further you | | | | You are not, however, under any obligation to use |
| are from your telephone companys local switching | | | | your broadband service provider as your VoIP |
| station, the more signal degradation you will have, | | | | service provider. Pure play VoIP providers, companies |
| and the maximum distance is 18,000 feet. Telcos can | | | | that offer only VoIP service, have grown in number, |
| and do use remote switching stations to expand their | | | | and could be said to be responsible for the low rates |
| service where they see a market opportunity. | | | | associated with VoIP telephony. Vonage, with around |
| The fatal flaw of DSL when considering the use of | | | | 53% of the residential VoIP market, is one pioneer in |
| VoIP, is that most companies require you to | | | | the industry that offers calling plans as low as $15 a |
| subscribe to their traditional telephone service as well. | | | | month. SunRocket, Packet8, and the peer to peer |
| Naked DSL, the unbundling of broadband and | | | | VoIP company Skype, have calling plans for even |
| telephone service, is possible and is offered by only a | | | | less. Cable and Telco plans on the other hand, are |
| few local phone companies. Perhaps because of the | | | | bound to cost more, starting at around $35 or $40. |