What is SIP Trunking?
What is SIP trunking? Simply put, the voice is transmitted as information through the Internet. An offshoot of VoIP is known as IP trunks, where multiple end-users with an identical Internet connection – many workers in the same workplace for instance – use different VoIP services to send and receive voice, both Internet audio and voice. While many people are familiar with regular Internet telephony (IPC), IPT is often more useful. VoIP provides a way for multiple users to exchange information over the Internet using the same network, instead of using expensive phone lines connected by wires.
In an earlier article I explored the importance of IP trunking for voice transmissions over the Internet in the cloud business. In that article, I suggested that companies whose revenues are dependent upon traditional methods of communications, such as phone calls, faxes, voice mail, and Internet voice usage, should consider switching their VoIP infrastructure to a hosted VoIP solution. I also suggested that companies in which employees have access to the Internet can take advantage of IP-based voice communication features such as IP trunks. This article now looks at the benefits of IP trunking that extend beyond the cloud business to include IP phones and IP fax machines. The information provided below should be used in conjunction with my previous article:
IP trunks allow users to make voice calls to phones inside the corporate network using the Internet itself as the analog signal source. Unlike a normal analog signal, however, voice calls made within an IP trunk can transmit digital information back up the Internet to the point of origin. The digital information then travels along the Internet to reach the destination IP phone, which processes the information and either stores it locally or transmits it across the Internet. Because the IP voice calls are delivered as analog signals, they cannot be listened to or played back by other parties. That’s why IP trunks are useful for business communications: even if a client’s employees don’t have access to the Internet, a hosted VoIP system can ensure that voice calls are made and received – regardless of whether employees have Internet access.
For many companies, there are significant costs and time savings when it comes to switching to IP trunking. Switching analog transmissions over the Internet to IP ones is less expensive than going fiber optic. There’s no need to install new equipment – and in fact, some older IP phones may already work with IP trunking. Furthermore, since IP trunks offer higher sound quality, they are more practical for use in offices where background noise is a problem, such as those used by call-center workers. Additionally, bandwidth usage – especially during peak hours when calls are made the most – is generally cheaper with IP trunking than with analog-based communications.
The cost savings continue when IP trunking is employed with multiple phone calls. In a traditional phone call, one long distance charge is made per minute; IP trunking makes this one call a “bundle” charge, so multiple calls are charged at the same rate. In addition to saving money, this feature also ensures that when a customer has numerous calls, they’ll only have to pay for the minimum number of minutes they use each month. This is especially valuable for small businesses where calls may be frequently made. As an added benefit, many Internet service providers provide IP trunking at no extra cost.
An IP trunking system is also useful in telecommunication applications. With a conventional phone call, at least one line is required for both the audio portion of the call, and the data transmission. With an IP phone call, however, only one data transmission is necessary. This allows businesses to save on phone lines and bandwidth. By using an IP phone call to transmit information – whether incoming phone calls or messages – rather than using phone lines, a company can free up other resources, which can then be used for other purposes.
IP trunking allows a company to control access to their network. By using an IP trunk, network users can connect to the Internet, access their email accounts, and perform other tasks without worrying about slowing down the connection. This allows them to access all these services while keeping the speed of their internet connection consistent. The IP data transmission can take place in either “one-way” or two-way modes. “One-way” IP trunking allows the IP data to travel in only one direction, whereas two-way IP trunking lets IP data to travel in both directions.
The major benefits of IP trunking include: savings in bandwidth and phone charges, fewer dropped calls, and the ability to control traffic on the network. In order for IP trunking to work, it must be able to receive, and send requests from voice clients, as well as IP packets of information. Voice clients are any device that is capable of receiving and making phone calls. In order for IP traffic to be transmitted over a public IP network, Internet access ports must be open.