Bringing IP Telephony Home

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Friday, January 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Commercial companies have been reaping dividends from IP telephony cost savings for some time. As VoIP technology matures and the network pipe grows ever larger, LANs that existed primarily for data transmission are being converted to handle all types of media based on what is a now the de-facto standard IP (Internet Protocol).It’s the same deal for domestic users.Perhaps without realising it, more of us are alreday creating our our own converged networks at home. We’re expanding Internet access with high speed Broadband that delivers the bandwidth required to use voice communications over the Internet.

It may involve a little bit of effort, but the results are worth it? When you look at the services and costs offered by VoIP providers compared to traditional telephone companies, the reasons become obvious! First and foremost is the considerable financial advantage (often up to 60% cheaper) of talking using the Internet rather than conventional copper PSTN telephone lines.Long distance calls, although initially routed on the Internet, will be switched to landlines at the destination switching station. It becomnes a ‘local call’, at least as far as the telephone company is concerened, and will be charged at appropriate local rates.rates will jump when cossing over to a mobile network, depending on the operator, but those rates will still be remarkably low.

IP telephony packages from providers such as Callagenix for example are free to set up and allow users to talk to other Callagenix IP Telephone numbers at no cost.Traffic with non Callagenix users is charged, but only at 30p per day. International calls are charged at local rates (in this case around 2p per minute) and all other calls/facilities are completely free. In fact, if you receive an inbound call from a Callagenix 0871 number, they pay you at 3 pence per minute!

Of course, you do need to spend something up front on VoIP telephony equipment. This may come in the form of a VoIP or SIP Telephone - like a normal phone except it plugs straight into your router, LAN or LAN hub. Other supported options include Softphone applications that runs on your PC or an Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA) that will ‘convert’ your normal BT type phone into an IP phone.

To make all this work, you should have a broadband connection faster than 128 kpbs to allow clarity of calls without using compression codecs and provide enough spare bandwidth for ‘regular’ internet functions like emails, web browsing and file downloads. A broadband connection is also usually ‘always-on’, so you can take and make calls without delays.
Setting the whole thing up with Callagenix is a simple process requiring online registration and confirmation or by calling on +44(0)870 6260626

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