What is VoIP?

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What is VoIP?
Telephone Service as we know it, today
Telco PSTN, CO Switch
Evolution
IP Network
LAN or WAN, Router
IP Telephone
IP Telephone
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What 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

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Analog 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

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Analog 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
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VoIP 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
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VoIP Business Case
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The Promise of VoIP

• Single Converged Network of Voice and Data
• Benefit Lower Cost
• Integrating Voice into the Desktop
• Benefit User Productivity

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The 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

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Benefits 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

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VoIP 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

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Telco 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

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What 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

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VoIP 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

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Consumer 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

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Success 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

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Interoperability 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

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Need 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

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Existing 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

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VoIP 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
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VoIP 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

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The 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

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SOHO VoIP Providers

• Vendors active in the SOHO market space
• Voiceglo
• Packet 8
• Vonage
• Iconnect
• Nikotel (SIP Network)
• Net2phone
• Level 3 Communications

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9-1-1/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

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VoIP 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

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NENA-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)

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Some 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.

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Some 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.
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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.
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   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.
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   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.
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• 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.

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1. 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.
2. 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.

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1. 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.
2. 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.

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Roger Hixson Technical Issues Director NENA - The
Voice of 9-1-1 614-442-9110 or 800-332-3911 rhixso
n_at_nena.org