As we all know, Internet connections can be unstable, down or congested, leading to all sorts of problems. Low speed, interruptions deeply affect VoIP quality and reliability. So, how come so many of us in the technology space are still promoting and selling the VoIP solutions?
One of the main reasons one would argue against using VoIP is how easily it seems to be affected by the quality of the Internet. Once a little bit of congestion shows up, the quality of the voice drops dramatically – crackling, wobbling, disconnections, etc…
But it is safe to say, that is NOT a VoIP issue but rather a NETWORK CONFIGURATION issue. VoIP is a very mature technology and (because it had to work on non-broadband connections) it is also very light on data bandwidth, one voice call taking less than 100kbps (or 0.1Mbps) out of a connection that is usually at least 2-3Mbps even on old ADSL technology.
The technology was designed, from its early beginnings, to account and make up for data hungry applications and devices – with most business routers having bandwidth management, Quality of Service systems and other methods to make sure vital services have a reserved amount of bandwidth to use, regardless of how many computers compete for the link.
What’s missing is the knowledge and education, as well as the willingness from technicians and service providers to instil good practice and make sure the customer is served.
Ultimately, even on low speed connections, it is up to the network admin or the IT guy to spend not more than 20 minutes to correctly configure the Internet router and make sure the VoIP service is getting the necessary bandwidth all the time and no call will be affected.
NOTEWORTHY: VoIP works even on low bandwidth connections, if the network router and switches are configured correctly, reserving enough bandwidth and prioritising VoIP over other protocols.