Fact: You pay to convert calls
from the Internet to standard telephones.
When you direct connect to
other users on the Internet, the cost is your basic Internet access fee (you
may already be paying this). If you desire to connect to other telephones or to
other users via an Internet telephony service provider (ITSP), there is usually
a fee of 1-3 cents per minute.
Fact: You can call standard
telephones.
Internet telephones can connect to standard telephones by passing through a gateway. The gateway converts the Internet packets into standard telephone signals. Many companies own gateways throughout many parts of the world and these companies usually charge a small access fee for using their gateways.
Fact: Standard telephones can call you if you setup service with an ITSP. You can have multiple telephone numbers located throughout the world for the same Internet Telephone.
Standard telephones can call you via a gateway. The gateway converts their telephone call into packets that can be routed through the Internet to reach your telephone. The caller does not have to know that your telephone is an Internet telephone.
Fact: Approximately 9.5% of public telephone calls used VoIP Technology in 2002.
Digital packet telecommunications has been used for many years. When the public telephone networks converted into digital systems, the voice signals were digitized. When digital voice signals are passed through switches, they are divided into small blocks (packets of data) and stored in a digital matrix. The difference between VoIP technology and current digital switching technology is the dedication of time slots and bandwidth. Some VoIP systems do dedicate or prioritize bandwidth for voice communication channels.
Fact: VoIP calls can be more secure than standard telephone calls.
VoIP systems use digital communication between each user. It is much easier to apply security on digital signals and many private data communication networks (e.g. DSL and Cable Modems) already add encryption to their data links. Once the packets communicate through the Internet, packets take different routes to reach their destination. This makes it extremely difficult to eavesdrop on VoIP calls.
Fact: Internet systems were designed to be more reliable than the public telephone network.
A majority of an Internet Telephone call is the routing of packets through the Internet. The Internet was designed to be reliable even in the event of a Nuclear disaster. The Internet does not go down. The selection of telephone, access equipment, and ITSP can affect the reliability of VoIP communications. With the right equipment, Internet telephone calls can be more reliable than public telephone systems (99.999% reliable).
Fact: Managed VoIP systems can offer the same (or better) voice quality than public telephone systems.
While some VoIP systems used compressed voice to achieve high efficiency communication, managed VoIP systems can dedicate 64 kbps (or more) for each voice communication channel. The public telephone network is limited to 64 kbps for each voice signal. To increase the efficiency of a telephone network, telephone systems may use voice compression that is not controllable by the user.
Fact: ITSPs are different because they have many technology and operation options available to them.
Fact: Depending on the systems and equipment selected, Internet Telephony can operate the same as standard telephones.
Fact: Internet Telephony can be as simple to setup as plugging in an IP telephone and prepaying for some telephone service via the Internet.
If you already have a working high-speed (broadband) Internet connection, an IP Telephone may simply plug into your data network.
Fact: Using telephone adapters, you can keep using your analog, digital, or even PBX telephones.
Fact: You can access Internet telephony using dialtone adapters or via an IP Telephone.
Fact: The average long distance cost for Internet Telephones is 2.5 cents per minute compared to 9 cents per minute for standard telephone service.
Fact: Internet telephony may be taxed in the future.
Communication taxes have not stopped telephone service, mobile communications service, nor the Internet.