VoIP IS HERE TO STAY 08/04/2005

The best things in life are free, or so we're told. Internet telephony is proof positive this old axiom rings true. Bridget Meagher dials you into the VoIP telecommunications revolution

VoIP is rapidly growing in popularity as more people discover they can make Internet telephone calls for free, much the same as using email. Furthermore, long distance and international calls can be made to ordinary phone lines for a fraction of the usual cost. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is also known as Internet telephony and IP telephony. Essentially, VoIP lets you make telephone calls from your computer by converting conversations into data packets, which are sent instantly over the Internet and reassembled at the other end of the line.

Location is irrelevant as long as you can log into the VoIP network, which means where you're calling to is more important than where you're calling from. For example, industry leaders Skype charge the same amount to call London from your Skype account, whether you're in London or Beijing. Laptop users have an advantage in that they've already got their computer on hand, and won't have to rack up their mobile phone bill while on the road. They need only a fixed Ethernet connection or a Wi-Fi hotspot. There has been much speculation with regards to the wireless evolution of VoIP, but Wi-Fi technology has not matured to the point where it reliably provides a wide enough bandwidth to transmit voice data. As Wi-Fi network speeds increase, wireless VoIP is poised to make an enormous impact. It would reduce cabling costs for businesses, as VoIP phone extensions could be set up and moved around with ease, and home laptop users could call from anywhere in their house or garden.

Both personal and business users benefit from VoIP technology, although they may use it in different ways. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) estimates 75 percent of international calls will use VOIP by 2007 as phone companies adopt the technology on a mass scale.

Another advantage of Internet telephony is the sound quality. Ordinary telephones have a frequency range of 300Hz to 3KHz, which leaves out the high and low-end of the voice spectrum and can make it tough to tell the difference between sounds like 'B' and 'P' when your trying to spell out your name and address. With VoIP, audio fidelity is higher and voices sound more natural, although this is limited by the quality of your headset, your soundcard and your network.

VOIP FOR HOME

SKYPE
For personal use, Skype is the leading global peer-to-peer Internet telephony company. The software is free to download and there's no charge to call between members. You can log on to your online account from any computer. The company clocked almost 45 million downloads in 2004 and could attract 145 to 245 million home users by 2008, researchers Evalueserve recently reported. This poses a serious challenge to traditional telecommunications companies.

Setup is simple and the home screen is incredibly easy-to-use, which means you can get less technology-savvy family members on board. It's possible to conduct conference calls with up to five people. Skype also has instant messaging functionality if you prefer to put something in writing or you've got laryngitis. Software has been released on the Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Pocket PC platforms. The Pocket PC 2003 version is currently unreliable, sending voice data over the 802.11b wireless adapter found in PDAs. In many cases, transmission is too slow and the line breaks up. However, other versions encounter no such problems when used with a fixed Ethernet connection. Skype is included with the latest update of file sharing giant Kazaa, whose founders created the company. There's no support for video conferencing, as Skype has thus far focused on telephony, but it's on the wish list for the future.

For calling your luddite friends, SkypeOutconnects you with landlines and mobiles for a low charge. Rates start at 2 Euro cents per minute (roughly 1.4p including VAT) for more than 20 countries. Unfortunately, you don't have an actual telephone number as part of your account, so you can't receive calls from regular phones.
- www.skype.com

MSN MESSENGER
MSN Messenger software also costs nothing to download and offers free instant messaging, VoIP and video conferencing. It's compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems, but Internet Explorer must be installed on your computer.

Setup is simple, especially if you already have a Hotmail account, and you can sign in from anywhere with Internet access. The home screen and menus are user-friendly, although not specifically designed for VoIP. MSN doesn't offer a service for calling public telephones, only other members who are online.
- www.msn.com

BT COMMUNICATOR/YAHOO! MESSENGER
VOIP has really come into its own, with traditional telecommunications companies offering services to get on board a rapidly growing market trend. BT Yahoo! Broadband subscribers can sign up for BT Communicator, which works in conjunction with Yahoo! Messenger instant messaging.

Calling other Yahoo! Messenger members is free (referred to as voice chat) and BT directory enquiries are free. Calls to regular telephone lines from your PC are charged at BT's standard rates (roughly 4p to 7p per minute including VAT, depending on your plan), with optional caller display, call barring and call waiting. On the BT website, information outlining the service and its features is laid out in a complex way, which may be confusing for potential subscribers who don't have a background knowledge of VoIP.