IP Telephony
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Transcript of IP Telephony
IP Telephony
Voice-Data Convergence
What is IP Telephony?
• Transmit telephone conversations in IP packets sent over the Internet or another network, such as Ethernet, Frame Relay, or ATM carrying IP packets
IP Packet
IP Telephony
• Digitize the outgoing voice signal
• Packetize (place in packets) and send over IP packet-switched networks
• Reverse at other end
DigitizeDigitize PacketizePacketize
Why IP Telephony?
• Save Money
• Digitizing Voice More Efficiently– Current telephone system also digitizes voice for
internal digital communication within the telephone network
– Current telephone system generates a stream of 64 kbps, then steals 8 kbps for signaling, leaving 56 kbps
– This is a lot of bits to move per second on expensive long-distance and international lines
DigitizeDigitize 64 kbps
Why IP Telephony?
• Save Money
• Digitizing Voice More Efficiently– With newer technology, IP telephony
digitizes voice to between 12 kbps and 16 kbps with good quality
– Fewer bits to send means lower transmission cost
DigitizeDigitize12 kbps-16 kbps
Why IP Telephony?
• Save Money
• Packet-Switched Network Delivery– Traditional telephony is circuit-switched– Charged for 56 kbps channels whether use
them or not– Packet switching multiplexes transmissions– Only pay for capacity actually used
PacketizePacketize
Why IP Telephony?
• Save Money
• Voice-Data Convergence– Corporations now have separate networks for voice
and data– This is expensive in terms of staffing labor and
technical charges – Voice-data convergence: use one network (IP) for
both– Reduces staff and technical costs
Why IP Telephony?
• Save Money: Recap
– Efficient digitization to send less than 8 kbps
– Multiplexing on packet-switched networks Internet connection is already in place
– Voice-data convergence reduces staff, other costs
Problem of Latency
• Packet-Switched Networks Often Have Latency (Delay)
• Latency is Bad for Voice Conversations– At latency of 200 milliseconds (ms), conversation is
difficult because of turn-taking awkwardness
– At latency of 500 ms, conversation is impossible
– Variable latency from one packet to the next makes voice sound jittery (jitter)
Reducing Latency
• Problem is the Internet Backbone– Often has high latency
• ISPs Have Lower Latency Internally– May offer service level agreements (SLAs) for
latency
SiteSite ISPISP InternetBackbone
InternetBackbone ISPISP SiteSite
OftenHigh Latency
UsuallyLow Latency
Reducing Latency
• Solution– Connect all corporate sites to a single ISP– Possible because some ISPs have access points
in many places around the country or even around the world
SiteSite Single ISPSingle ISP SiteSite
SLA forLow Latency
Reducing Latency
• Solution– Connect all corporate sites to a single packet-
switched PSDN– Packet-switched PSDNs also have low latency,
SLAs
SiteSite PSDNPSDN SiteSite
SLA forLow Latency
Evolution of IP Telephony• Initially, Only Use Between Sites
– Sites already have PBXs (Private Branch Exchanges) to handle internal site telephony
– Add IP telephony modules to PBXs
– Communicate over the Internet in IP
– Use traditional telephony within sites
– Saves on long-distance, which is expensive
SiteSite SiteSite
Evolution of IP Telephony• Initially, Only Use Between Sites
– No need to change system within sites
– Such changes would be expensive and would not reduce long-distance and international calling charges
– Little agreement about what technology to use in internal telephone systems
SiteSite SiteSite
Evolution of IP Telephony
• Eventually, Service to the Desktop– Combine with data service to the desktop
– Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI) applications• When caller calls in, automatically linked with relevant
data
• To improve applications, not necessarily to save money
– Problem: technology is not readily available or standardized
IP Telephony Standards
• Based on H.323 Videoconferencing Standard from ITU-T– For videoconferencing over the Internet or
other IP networks
• IETF, ITU-T have agreed to work together on IP telephony standards
Questions about IP Telephony
• Will it Really Save Money?– Was very promising when long-distance and
international costs were very high– But these costs are falling rapidly and will
continue to do so– Will it save enough money to be worthwhile?
• Will it be Sufficiently Reliable?– Ordinary telephony is super reliable– Can IP telephony offer sufficient reliability?