VOIP (VOICE ON INTERNET PROTOCOL)

What is it?

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP), digital voice, or internet calling: they’re all referring to the same thing. VoIP calls are like regular phone calls, only your voice is carried over the internet instead of phone cables or mobile networks. With a broadband subscription, VoIP service, and VoIP-enabled phone, you can make calls—even long-distance ones—at cheap prices or even for free.

Why would I use it?

You may already use your PC to call distant friends using Skype or similar internet calling software, or have a permanent “broadband phone” at home. But if your Nokia mobile phone can make VoIP calls, you don’t need to be sitting in front of your computer to make an internet voice call, and you don’t need any special headset to talk. The greatest advantage of having a mobile phone with VoIP is that you can make all your calls, whether cellular or over the internet, with just one device.

What can I do with it?

With VoIP, you can talk to your friends and business contacts,without adding talk time on your mobile phone bill. Calling using VoIP with your phone feels and sounds just like a regular phone call. All you need is a phone with VoIP, a VoIP service provider, and a connection to the internet.
Exactly how you use VoIP depends on the service you’re using. You can usually call someone on a computer or VoIP phone number without any extra cost. If you call a land-line or mobile phone, however, your VoIP signal must be converted to a regular telephone signal, which usually involves a subscription service.

Here are some ways you can use VoIP on your phone:

At home or at the office

If you use a WLAN for your home or work network and have a service agreement with a SIP VoIP service provider, you can use your phone to make cheap or free VoIP calls. There’s no need to sit in front of your computer or use any devices other than your phone. The best part is, you can be reached conveniently by all of your callers at one number, with one device.

Out on the town

You can make VoIP calls from your favorite restaurant, for example. Your mobile or broadband service provider may have WLAN “hotspots”– wireless internet access points – around town. Some restaurants and school campuses also have their own hotspots available for their customers and students, and you may even find a public WLAN hotspot with free access for everyone.

How it works

Good things come in small data packets

When a phone uses VoIP technology, it converts your voice into a digital signal that is sent over the internet. In this form, it’s treated as any other data traveling over the net: it’s sent in small packets of data. At the other end of the line, your voice data is converted back into sound.

This method of sending data, called packet-switching, has the advantage over land-based or cellular calls in terms of cost. To understand why, think of internet calling as being similar to sending and receiving email. It doesn’t cost any more to send an email across town than it does to send one across the globe, and basically it’s the same situation when making calls over the internet. It doesn’t matter whether you talk for two minutes or two hours – the call is covered by your broadband internet fee.

SIP VoIP: the flexible solution

On Nokia devices, internet calling works using SIP (session initiation protocol) VoIP technology. SIP VoIP solutions contrast with those built on proprietary protocols (such as Skype) in that they work with other SIP VoIP services. This means that you can contact anyone else using a SIP VoIP service for free, regardless of what SIP VoIP provider they use.

Free versus cheap

Making VoIP calls from your phone to another phone or computer using a VoIP service is free. However, if you’re calling a regular mobile or land-line phone, your signal still has to be converted to a traditional phone signal, and you will probably pay for this service. Still, the cost-savings involved can be huge, which is why VoIP is getting a lot of attention from consumers and businesses alike.