voip: voice over IP, phone over the net
Mon, 2005-04-04 09:10 — admin
The END of the regular analogic phone and the beginning of money savings !
With the emergence of broadband connexions to Internet, it's possible to phone over the Internet (via IP protocol). You just pay your Internet connexion and nothing else or small fee to connect to regular phones.
VoiceStick has an unlimited plan at 25$/month: unlimited calls almost anywhere in the world ! You can have your call-in number (US or UK numbers). You can use the USB stick to place calls from any computer in the world (Windows).
Read this comparison of New York Times for the best offers.
Sunrise has just made an VOIP offer (6CHF/month) to use their IP-to-phone gateways over any broadband Internet connection. It's quite interresting to see a regular phone operator offering such service as the business of online solutions like Skype or Glophone are growing VERY rapidly.
Advantages: don't need a computer. You can use your regular analogic phone or fax. You keep your phone number. You can receive calls from outside, a feature not offering by many online-solution (except Skype and Glophone). The gateways are better (I presume) for local calls than the ones of Skype.
Skype:
all-online solution. You just pay your minutes, that's all. The gateway IP-to-phone isn't always good. people can't hear us very well sometimes. You have to buy a phone number to be able to receive calls. And currently, you can buy phone number just for few countries in Europe like France, UK, but not Switzerland (where I live :(.
Technology: the regular phones are analogic, the last 1Km from the operator and your house is analogic, everything else is digital. VoIP and its standard SIP make a decisive step by putting this last media on the Net. It's the last one with TV and radio (which is already readily available on the net). Voice doesn't take a lot of bandwith, so it's quite simple to transmit it over the net.
Hardware: You can use a hardphone special phone (or like this one) or a "softphone" by using your PC (with microphone/speakers or special peripherals like USB handset) to make calls. You have these type of communications: PC-to-PC, PC-to-phone, phone-to-phone.
Of course, to totally substitute regular phone, you need a fixed number so people can reach you. With SIP, where ever you connect to the net, your number follows you.
PROS:
- same audio quality than regular phone
- no or little charges, less than regular operators
Software solution:
People call you for free from any phone in the world. You phone for 2c/min EVERYWHERE in the world. respect standards.
Here in Switzerland, there are a few alternative to the majors phone operators SwssicoN, Sunrise and others :
List of voip provider world wide
Switzerland
World
Have a look at U.S. Internet Telephony Company Vonage Is Gearing Up To Start Services In The U.K. And Switzerland
http://www.voipproviderslist.com/country/Switzerland/1/
More about SIP:
http://www.sipcenter.com/
GOOD related articles:
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/03/17/free_phone_calling_to_your...
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/04/02/crossplatform_videoconfere...
With the emergence of broadband connexions to Internet, it's possible to phone over the Internet (via IP protocol). You just pay your Internet connexion and nothing else or small fee to connect to regular phones.
VoiceStick has an unlimited plan at 25$/month: unlimited calls almost anywhere in the world ! You can have your call-in number (US or UK numbers). You can use the USB stick to place calls from any computer in the world (Windows).
Read this comparison of New York Times for the best offers.
Sunrise has just made an VOIP offer (6CHF/month) to use their IP-to-phone gateways over any broadband Internet connection. It's quite interresting to see a regular phone operator offering such service as the business of online solutions like Skype or Glophone are growing VERY rapidly.
Advantages: don't need a computer. You can use your regular analogic phone or fax. You keep your phone number. You can receive calls from outside, a feature not offering by many online-solution (except Skype and Glophone). The gateways are better (I presume) for local calls than the ones of Skype.
Skype:
all-online solution. You just pay your minutes, that's all. The gateway IP-to-phone isn't always good. people can't hear us very well sometimes. You have to buy a phone number to be able to receive calls. And currently, you can buy phone number just for few countries in Europe like France, UK, but not Switzerland (where I live :(.
Technology: the regular phones are analogic, the last 1Km from the operator and your house is analogic, everything else is digital. VoIP and its standard SIP make a decisive step by putting this last media on the Net. It's the last one with TV and radio (which is already readily available on the net). Voice doesn't take a lot of bandwith, so it's quite simple to transmit it over the net.
Hardware: You can use a hardphone special phone (or like this one) or a "softphone" by using your PC (with microphone/speakers or special peripherals like USB handset) to make calls. You have these type of communications: PC-to-PC, PC-to-phone, phone-to-phone.
Of course, to totally substitute regular phone, you need a fixed number so people can reach you. With SIP, where ever you connect to the net, your number follows you.
PROS:
- same audio quality than regular phone
- no or little charges, less than regular operators
Software solution:
People call you for free from any phone in the world. You phone for 2c/min EVERYWHERE in the world. respect standards.
- http://skype.com/ the most popular. Good quality. With SkypeIN You can have a fixed number, so people can reach you from regular phones. (article)
Here in Switzerland, there are a few alternative to the majors phone operators SwssicoN, Sunrise and others :
List of voip provider world wide
Switzerland
- PURtel Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland
- e-fon.ch SIP/IAX + Swiss DID
14.-/month rates
- TicinoCom free SIP + Swiss DID small prepayment (creditcard) for outbound calling
++ seems very interesting free rates
- Sipcall free SIP rates
- http://www.ipworldcom.ch/sip/
World
- http://www.vonage.com/index.php?refer_id=gna14pppaa1e3e1pa171
USA, CA, UK, CH?
Have a look at U.S. Internet Telephony Company Vonage Is Gearing Up To Start Services In The U.K. And Switzerland
http://www.voipproviderslist.com/country/Switzerland/1/
More about SIP:
http://www.sipcenter.com/
GOOD related articles:
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/03/17/free_phone_calling_to_your...
http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2005/04/02/crossplatform_videoconfere...