The internet is a great thing and has brought all sorts of wonderful things like cat videos, pictures of people at Wallmart and Facebook. But the technology can do a lot more than that, even providing you with extremely cheap telephone calls.
Using something known as Voice over Internet Protocol, or more commonly VoIP, we're able to let you use your internet connection to make phone calls, much cheaper than a standard phone line (known in the industry as a PSTN line). This means you don't need to worry about things like line rental, or even flagfall any more and can ditch some of those old phone plans you don't really need.
So, how does this amazing thing work? Well, we're going to try and explain it here. It can sound a bit complicated, but really it's very simple. First, you need an internet connection. It doesn't really matter what type, but it does need to be stable, and generally high-speed. You know how sometimes when you try and watch a video online, if your internet isn't fast enough or keeps dropping out, the video freezes and stops loading? The same thing can happen with VoIP, because it basically works the same way.
Take a look at the diagram below for a quick idea of how it all comes together.
You may notice something in the picture you've not seen before. In order to use VoIP, your phone needs to be compatible with it. Since most people don't buy VoIP handsets, you can also use an adapter so you can keep using your normal handset. You then plug this into your internet router or modem, and then basically just make phone calls like you normally would, which disappear out into the internet. It's that simple for you. Not so simple for us.
Once the phone call gets sent down your internet connection, it's digital information just like a web page or a cat video. When it's like this, it needs to get directed to a normal telephone carrier, just like us and our wholesalers, who then change the information so it can travel down an old fashioned telephone line (those PSTN things we mentioned already). Then it basically works like normal, sending the information down the telephone line, to the handset of the person you called. And just like a normal telephone call, all this happens in a matter of seconds, even though it sounds like a long process.
As you talk to your grandmother on her old normal telephone, the process repeats, back and forth to allow the conversation. This is why it's important to have a good internet connection. If you don't, the conversation can sometimes be affected by "lagging", basically something that happens while the internet portion of the call loads the information, just like you may see on an online video.
Can I use my current phone for VoIP?
What if I don't want to buy a new modem or an adapter?
Why is it cheap?
So, does that mean the person I'm calling doesn't have to use VoIP?
What type of internet connection do I need?
Switched On recommends having access to a stable, high-speed internet connection. Because a portion of the calls is made as if it was data, slow internet connections, or ones that lose connection/signal can cause some delays or "lagging" with the conversation. ADSL2+, 3G mobile broadband, or the upcoming NBN would be our recommendation. Switched On may also be able to provide you with a broadband service* to use with VoIP.
*Some internet connections require an active phone line, provided separately to the broadband and VoIP services.Do I have to have the internet?
Yes, VoIP - which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol - can only use internet services to establish a connection.
What if I have WiFi?
Isn't this just like Skype?
I'm not sure I understand any of this, can someone explain it better?
Copyright 2018 Switched On AustraliaAll Rights ReservedComments
Back to the top