Question

Discuss the current state of VoIP, its impact on the PSTN and cellular systems, and prediction of its future.   

300 words

Answer 1

PSTN - Public Switched Telephone Network : PSTN is the world's collection of interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networks, both commercial and government-owned. It's also referred to as the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)

VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol : Voice over Internet Protocol is a category of hardware and software that enables people to use the Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using IP rather than by traditional circuit transmissions of the PSTN.

Cellular systems : A cellular network or mobile network is a communication network where the last link is wireless. The network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, but more normally three cell sites or base transceiver stations.

Current state of VoIP and its impact on the PSTN and cellular systems :
VoIP is being deployed on internal corporate Networks for low cost, and in many cases, low quality international calls. But to what extent is this happening and what has VoIP's impact on the telephony market been?

Many big name vendors such as Microsoft, Cisco and Erricson are supporting and implementing SIP as their VoIP protocol. And in terms of service providers, there are a huge number of companies (400 alone in the US) offering VoIP as an alternative to the traditional telephony service .

Companies such as Vonage, AT&T and Verizon are all trying to get a stake in the market. Home customers to date have being trading the quality of telephone calls against the cheaper price offered by these providers. Other benifits besides cheaper calls is the introduction of IP telephones and VoIP boxes which means the user can have the same experience as normal telephoning. This means one does not need a headset, microphone etc to make Internet Telephony calls and can make phone to phone calls using IP. But in terms of actual penetration to date, the impact on the market has been more subdued than predicted. When trying to obtain hard and up to date facts about the current state of play it is difficult not to run into figures which primarily focus on the predicted impact VoIP will have. Take for example,

"Market research firm The Yankee Group predicts that 17.5 million US Residents will rely on VoIP by the end of 2008"

The reality is however, only just over 1 million US residents have actually dropped their traditional phone line for one that uses voice over Internet Protocol. Providers and experts alike are it certainly seems expecting an explosion in the number of people using VoIP.

Key to that expectation becoming a reality is dispelling some of the myths that have become synonymous with VoIP. These myths confuse and discourage the consumer from accepting a fantastic new technololgy. Worries about the opportunity for others to 'listen in' on or 'intercept' calls do nothing for consumer confidence. And the reputation that the quality of VoIP can never be as good as the PSTN network also causes damage to the cause. The reality is that in a dedicated network VoIP can offer even better quality Voice calls than normal telephony, and there are many software and hardware solutions offering encryption available.

Please find the attached screen shots for the required Info : (given answer box is not letting post the whole data as a text, so posting screen shots of whole text).

1 PSTN - Public SHitched Telephone Network PSIN 13 the world'a collection o interconnected voice-oriented public telephone networka, both commercial and overnment-owned. It'a alao referred to as the Plain old Telephone service (eOTS) 3 VoIPVo1ce over Internet Protocol : Voice over Internet Protocol 13 a category ot hardware and aoftware that enablea people to uae the Internet aa the cranami331on medium for telephone calla by aending voice data in packeta uaing IP rather chan by traditional circuit tranamla3iona of the PSIN 5 Celular ayatema : A cellular network or mobile nethork 13 a cammunication network where the laat link 13 wireleas. The network 13 d13tributed over land areaa called cella, each aerved by at 1east one tixed-location tranaceive, but more normally three cell aitea or base tranaceiver atationa Current atate ot VoIP and its impact on the PSIN and cellular ayatema 8 VoIP 13 being deployed on internal corporate Networka for low co3t, and in many casea, low quality international calla. But to what extent 13 thia happening and what haa VoIP'a impact on the telephony market been? 10 any big name vendora auch aa Hicroaoft, Ciaco and Erricaon are aupporting and implemencing SIP aa their VoIP protocol. And in terma of aervice providers, there are a huge number of companiea (400 alone in the US) offering VoIP аз an alternative to the traditional telephony 3er,ice . 12 Companies auch as Vonage, AT&T and Verizon are all trying to get a atake in the market. Home cuatomers to date have being trading the quality of telephone calla againat the cheaper price offered by theae providers. Other benifits beaides cheaper calla 1s the introduction of IP telephones and VolP boxes which me ar13 the u er can have the ฮame experience a3 normal telephoning. Th13 me ang one doe3 not need a headget, microphone etc to make Internet lelephony ca113 and can make phone to phone calls u31ng IP. But 1n t of actual penetration to date, the inpact on the market ha3 been more subdued than predicted. When trying to obtain hard and up to date facc3 about the current tate of play 1t 1ฮ difficult not to run into figurea which primarily focu3 on the predicted impact VolP will have. Take for cxample, 13 1 "Market research firm The Yankee Group predicta that 17.5 miilion US Reaidents will rely on VolP by the end of 2008" 15 16 The reality 13 however, only just over 1 million US realden" have actually dropped their traditional phone line for one that use voice over Internet Protocol. Providers and expercs alike are it certainly aeema cxpecting an explosion in the number of people uaing VolP 17 18 Key to that expectation becoming a reality 13 dispelling ฮ。me of the myths that have become synonymous with VoIP. These mytha confuse and discourage the conaumer from accepting a fantastic new technololgy. Worrics about the opportunity for others to 'listen in' on or 'intercept' calls do nothing for conaumer confidence. And the reputation that the quality of VoIP can never be 0.3 good 0.3 the PSTN network a1ธ0 cau damage to the cau e. The reality เธ that In a dedicated network VoIP can offer even better quality voice calls than normal telephony, and there are many 30ftware and hardware ธ○lutions offering encryption available 19 20 Between 1998 and 2003, VoIPs share of international traffic roae from 0.2 percent to 13 percent of telephone traffic worldwide, an average annual increase of 177 percent, according to a atudy by Washington-based international rescarch firm TeleGeography 21

Between 1998 and 2003, VoIP' share of international traffic rose from 0.2 percent to 13 percent of telephone traffic worldwide, an average annual increase of 177 percent, according to a study by Washington-based international research firm TeleGeography Outside of residential or home use, a large number of companies and Universities are changing over to VoIP. Aerospace giant Boeing, which has some 157,000 employees and offices in 70 countries, announced it would u3e VoIP to handle all phone calls within the company, and now over 8 of British call cent re companies soley use VoIP Schools and universities have also started deploying VoIP, often giving the students an IP phone to use. The University of Notre Dame has signed a multimillion-dollar contract for a hosted voice-over-IP syฮ tem to serve around 16,000 ฮtudents, faculty, and staff and the Univerฮ1ty of California Santa Barbara now use voice over IP technology on their campus along with many other universities chroughout America. If this trend continues 1t won't be long until mo3t 3choo1 and universities around the world take advantage of thǐเร technology Overall, in the corporate world, VoIP has not experienced the explosion many forecasters predicted prediction of voIP future: It is not juธt the promises that VoIP hold, uch low cost, that are helping to upport the debate that it will have a bright future but the actual efforts being made by many to encourage internet telephony and VoIE The European Commission, ITU World Telecommunications Policy Forum "WIPE" and the U.S. Federal Communications Commis9ion ("FCC"),have had much debate on what VoIP and VoN services should offer and the implications of these services. Their introduction poses issueョ such as the collection f univerさa1 service funds, the payr.ent charges among carriera and the impact on the revenue of existing monopolies To the advantage of VoIP and VON it has been decided that IP telephony will not be ธubject to the same regulations the traditional telephone ervice. The implications of VoIP are regarded as a good thing as they will reduce the costs for consumers, and the costs of market entry for operators, especially for long-d1 tance and international calls, and it has made them see that exigting telecommunication regulations need to be rea5gessed. Both the EU and FCC agree that the development of IP telephony technology should not be hindered in any wajy Internet service providers (ISP) are making the decision to become voice over IP service providera and join thoae who are already in the market auch aa with BI, rest and Vonage. This is definitely a big plus for the growth of VoIP into the future for several reasons ISPs already have their own IP networks to build the voice services and they are already experienced in working with IP and routing traffic. They are also in a position to offer additional servicea to their eu tomers. For example they could offer free voIP-t。-VoIP calls to their customers and it will mean customers will have a single bill instead of receiving many for all the different service ธ they use. Thǐธ would make voIP more attractive to even more customers, keeping VoIP's foot in the future ext file length : 6,501 lines: 35 Ln: 12 Col: 519 Sel: 010 Windows (CR LF) UTF-8 INS