Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the future of telephone service. During the transition from the legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a mix of PSTN and VoIP to pure VoIP, there are a few things that are needed, before you can have good VoIP service.
- You must have or get a good quality internet connection for VoIP phone service.
- The Bandwidth of your internet connection must handle all your peak data requirements AND support the extra bandwidth required for the number of VoIP calls you want to have at any one time. Each phone call requires approximately 80Kbps up and down.
- Your Local Area Network (LAN) must be of good quality and all switches, routers and cabling must support at least 100Mbps.
- AND, You Need to Protect Your LAN with a Good Firewall that supports VoIP.
The internet connection is critical for good VoIP service. Here is a list of options in order from cheapest to most expensive:
| Internet Service | Notes | Advertised
Speed |
Monthly Price* |
| DSL Home Internet Service | Not recommended for VoIP. Speed/Quality Not Guaranteed, dependent on quality of telephone line, distance to the provider’s hub and the number of subscribers in your area. | ≤ 6Mbps | ≤ $150 |
| Home Cable/fiber Internet Service | Speed/Quality Not Guaranteed, and is dependent on number of subscribers in your area. Your bandwidth may be throttled (limited) based on congestion and your usage. Usually data caps are imposed. | ≤ 150Mbps | ≤ $300 |
| Business Class Cable/fiber Internet Service | Same as the Home Cable/fiber Internet Service, except that these connections will generally support higher traffic levels within a purchased bandwidth. And, any bandwidth throttling and data caps are usually removed. | ≤ 150Mbps | ≤ $500 |
| ISDN PRI, T1 | Guaranteed bandwidth. Older technology, but very reliable. These have historically been the most available connection regardless of location. This was typically used by businesses for legacy phone systems. | 1.544Mbps | $250 to
$700 |
| Dedicated Internet Connection (Leased Line) | Guaranteed bandwidth. These are the best connections, but can be expensive. They can be Copper or Fiber Optic. | 5 Mbps to 10GBPS | $300 to
> $10,000 |
* The costs are typical values. Actual prices are dependent on the service provider and location, among other factors. Taxes on Internet service are usually less than 6%.
Note that
- Most internet services are “Best Effort,” and are NOT Guaranteed.
- The “Public Internet” is “Best Effort,” with NO preference for types of data allowed.
When “Best Effort” is used, it is always possible to lose data or have slow data through congested areas of the Internet, including your service provider.
That said, the Public Internet and all the broadband Internet connections through service providers are very good and the speed and quality are continuously being improved.