Title: What is VoIP?
1What is VoIP?
Telephone Service as we know it, today
Telco PSTN, CO Switch
Evolution
IP Network
LAN or WAN, Router
IP Telephone
IP Telephone
2What is IP?
- Internet Protocol (IP) characteristics
- IP is a Protocol
- A Method of Communication
- Industry Standard (De Facto)
- Designed for the Department of Defense (DOD)
- Provides for Logical Addressing of Devices
- Creates a robust non-centralized Network
3Analog and Digital Voice Circuits
- Analog Circuit
- Referred to as a line
- Unit by which capacity is typically measured
- A residential line or a 1FB (Feature Group -
Business) - Bandwidth is typically between 300 Hz and 3 KHz
- Voice traffic is carried as a waveform
- Digital Circuit
- Analog voice traffic that has been digitized
(converted to bits) for ease of transport - Bandwidth is typically 1.544Mbps
- Voice traffic is carried as a stream of bits
4Analog to Digital Conversion
Bit 1
Bit 2
8-Bit Sample _at_ 8 KHz/Sec
Bit 3
Bit 4
Bit 5
Analog to Digital Converter
Bit 6
External microphonein use!
Bit 7
Bit 8
Serial Transmission
Bit 3
Bit 1
Bit 2
Bit 4
Bit 5
Bit 6
Bit 7
Bit 8
64 Kbps
5VoIP Voice Protocols
- VoIP uses two common protocols to carry your
voice message - User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
- Real-Time Protocol (RTP)
RTP Data
IP
UDP
VoIP Packet
6VoIP Business Case
7The Promise of VoIP
- Single Converged Network of Voice and Data
- Benefit Lower Cost
- Integrating Voice into the Desktop
- Benefit User Productivity
8The State of VoIP
- Are People Planning to use VoIP?
- YES! Theyre doing it!
- What is the State of the Industry?
- Late Prototype to Early Production
- How is the Sound Quality?
- The Sound Quality is Excellent now
9Benefits of VoIP
- Easy Deployment and Reconfiguration Management
- Cost Savings Hardware, Maintenance, Toll Charges
- Improved Mobility, Changing of Offices, Phone
Numbers - Convergence of Services, such as Conferencing
- Compared to TDM Phones, VoIP Phones offer
- More Flexibility
- More Features
- This Equates to Corporate Productivity
Enhancement
10VoIP Basics
- PBX Functionality in an IP-based System
- PBX Switch operation in a LAN
- Enterprise to Enterprise communication
- IP Services (ie. Unified Messaging)
- Sends voicemail messages via Email
- Toll Bypass
- Removes connection charges paid to Carrier
11Telco Policy Law and Precedents
- What we have now with the Telco
- Carrier Grade Reliability
- Public Safety
- Law Enforcement
- National Security
- Universal (affordable) Service
- Disabled Access
12What is Carrier Grade in a Telco Network?
- Carrier Grade operation is a global Telco
standard - Dialtone is provided even when local electricity
is unavailable (ie. East Coast blackout of 2003) - Carrier Grade means a high level of total
availability - Referred to as Five Nines (99.999)
- Equates to 5 minutes per year of network downtime
13VoIP Dependencies
- VoIP does not automatically imply Voice over the
Internet - Voice over IP can, and is, in private IP-based
networks - Complete deployment of VoIP is totally dependent
on Broadband adoption - Requires acceptable bandwidth at the SOHO location
14Consumer Acceptance of VoIP
- The End User requirements and Feature Assessment
must be Accurate - Train the End Users, Demonstrate the Advanced
Features - Benchmark the Before / After performance
- Currently Cable Modem and DSL can provide
excellent SOHO service for Internet access - The Consumer must be comfortable with the VoIP
environment - VoIP operation must be transparent to user
15Success Stories for VoIP Services
- Free World Dialup
- Peer to peer (closed network) over Broadband
- 200,000 Users, Worldwide
- Vonage
- 200,000 subscribers
- Shoreline
- 30,000 subscribers
16Interoperability Challenges
- In a manner similar to the networking industry,
the early deployment vendors are creating
proprietary implementations - Some hardware/software combinations will not
scale to support large enterprises - Difficult to test interoperation with all
possible vendor solutions - Testing under heavy load is not always available
for newer technologies - Legacy support is critical as newer products and
protocols are developed
17Need for Standards Bodies
- A Standards Body provides the following benefits
- Helps to insure interoperability between vendors
- Provides a forum for Improvement and Technology
research - Helps to select the Best Overall Solution for
Market Applications - Acts as a Standards Body, not as a Regulatory
Agency
18Existing Standards Bodies for VoIP and Networking
- Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Institute for Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) - International Standards Organization (ISO)
- 3G Partnership Project (3GPP/3GPP2)
- CableLabs
19VoIP History
- 1995 VocalTec
- 1996 International Telecommunication Union -
Version 1 Draft of H.323 - 1999 DialPad begins Service
- 2001 Microsoft XP with SIP support
- 2001 Qwest in Boise, ID starts VoIP trials for
Customers - 2002 Vonage initiates Service
Elad Sion
20VoIP Vendor Devices
- A sample of VoIP devices available today
- H.323 Phones
- SIP Phones
- Software Phones (NetMeeting, Skype)
- USB Phones
- Wireless Phones (Future Cellular)
- PDAs
- Routers/Gateways
21The Future of VoIP?
- VoIP deployments face some challenges
- Residential/Small Business VoIP Providers
- 9-1-1 / E9-1-1 Issues
- Requirement for Integrated Networks
- Consistent Network Infrastructure
22SOHO VoIP Providers
- Vendors active in the SOHO market space
- Voiceglo
- Packet 8
- Vonage
- Iconnect
- Nikotel (SIP Network)
- Net2phone
- Level 3 Communications
239-1-1/E9-1-1 Issues
- All Devices Should be treated as Movable
- Routing to the correct PSAP serving the
geo/political jurisdiction where the 911 caller
is physically located - Sending Proper Re-contact (call back) Information
to PSAP - IP PBX must get Location / Endpoint information
to PSAP - Cannot Rely on E.164 Numbering Plan for physical
location information
24VoIP Conclusions
- VoIP is a Viable Technology, Ready to Deploy NOW!
- VoIP allows for Convergence of Services at the
Phone or Desktop - VoIP is Easy to Manage, Deploy and Reconfigure
- VoIP will provide Cost Savings Lower Toll Call
Costs, Lower Equipment Cost and Lower Maintenance
Costs - VoIP provides Improved Mobility
- VoIP Phones have More Features than TDM Phones
25NENA-VON Coalition Agreement
- Established to set minimum levels of coordination
with Public Safety and NENA - Does not recommend call delivery to 10 digit
numbers, but rather as minimum method - Recommends active contact with PSAPs or PSAP
Coordinator prior to service initiation, to
establish what method is to be used to deliver
9-1-1 dialed calls, and the details - (See Agreement in separate document, or at
the NENA website (www.nena.org) may be updated
at the website)
26Some Ways to Receive VoI 9-1-1 Calls
- NENAs view is that Voice over Internet service
providers should use the best available method
for 9-1-1 calling, prior to the availability of
the NENA I2 standard interface. See
descriptions. - 10 digit emergency number delivery should be used
only for those cases where better methods cant
apply. - Since many VoI subscribers are in replacement of
previous wireline service that had E9-1-1, VoI
subscribers should have E9-1-1 service where
possible. VoI provider costs for E9-1-1 access
should not be a primary issue. E9-1-1 is
fundamental service, not optional.
27Some Methods to Receive Voice over Internet 9-1-1
Calls Best choice is for as many Voice over
Internet providers as possible to use initial
methods to interface to the E9-1-1 systems, via a
CLEC or cable provider (or ILEC?!) for
subscribers using home NPA at fixed
location. With the proper procedures, nomadic
subscribers could voluntarily update
location. Examples Packet8 / Level3,
VoxPath, CoxCable, TimeWarner, MCI and ATT
CallAdvantage may be adding this method. 10
Digit numbers are a lesser alternative, and are
the only known method for handling the subset of
non-home NPA subscribers.
28 A. Establish or identify a 24x7 10 digit
emergency number with the CallerID feature, and
set it as a priority answer equivalent to 9-1-1
trunk calls, in the ACD, on the telephone console
itself, or in some other way that fits the PSAP
systems. Provides callback number in most cases,
for those Voice over Internet providers using
CallerID.
29 B. Establish a 10 digit emergency
number in a central office that call forwards,
with ANI of that CO number, to the central
offices 9-1-1 trunk group into the Selective
Router. For both routing control to the target
PSAP, and for ALI purposes, establish a fixed ALI
record against that call forward ANI, that
identifies the call as a Voice over Internet call
from a given area. Note that this technique
could be applied by VoI service provider, using
different numbers for each, or across all VoI
type providers in common. Does not provide ANI
of the caller.
30 C. Establish a new SR to PSAP trunk group,
with its own Routing TN at the SR, for call
delivery through the new PSAP trunk group. This
technique allows call delivery within the 9-1-1
trunking to the 9-1-1 CPE, provides equivalent
priority of answer capability, and E9-1-1
transfer capabilities, but does not provide ANI
or CallerID. Call appears as an Anonymous call,
but is identifiable as a VoI call due to the
dedicated trunk group.
31- NENA and Internet communications providers have
agreed upon the following action items - For service to customers using phones that have
the functionality and appearance of conventional
telephones, provide 9-1-1 emergency services
access (at least routing to a PSAP10-digit
number) within a reasonable time (three to six
months) and prior to that time inform customers
of the lack of such access. - When a communications provider begins selling in
a particular area, it should discuss with the
local PSAPs or their coordinator (as identified
on the NENA website) the approach to providing
access. (For example, if routing to 10-digit
number, confirm the correct number with the
PSAP.) This obligation does not apply to any
roaming by customers.
32- Support for current NENA and industry work
towards an interim solution that includes (a)
delivery of 9-1-1 call through the existing 9-1-1
network, (b) providing callback number to PSAP,
and (c) possibly in some cases, initial location
information. The current timeline for the NENA
VoIP/Packet Committee to develop its interim
recommended solution is May 2004. - Support for current NENA and industry work
towards long-term solutions that include (a)
delivery of 9-1-1 call to the proper PSAP, (b)
providing callback number/recontact information
to the PSAP, (c) providing location of caller
and (d) PSAPs having direct IP connectivity. The
initial standards development work of the NENA
VoIP/Packet Committee should be completed by the
end of 2004.
33- Support for an administrative approach to
maintaining funding of 9-1-1 resources at a level
equivalent to those generated by current or
evolving funding processes. - Consumer education. This could include projects
involving various industry participants and NENA
public education committee members to create
suggested materials explaining any 9-1-1
differences to customers.
34Roger Hixson Technical Issues Director NENA - The
Voice of 9-1-1 614-442-9110 or 800-332-3911 rhixso
n_at_nena.org