Is Your Network Ready For SIP Trunking?
If your business has been considering the possibility of using a SIP trunking service, one of the first things you want to do is look at the details and determine whether your network is ready. You need to understand whether you have the proper bandwidth needed to run data and voice together while continuing to assure the high-quality voice you need. We’ll share a few things to look at when deciding whether SIP trunking is right for you.
Network Availability
In order to make use of a SIP trunking service, you need a high-quality Internet or Multiprotocol Label Switching connection. If you plan to use SIP over the Internet, the best connection is an Ethernet one, as it gives the highest level of availability. However, you can run SIP over other connections provided they have low latency and plenty of bandwidth.
Preparedness Testing
Going through a network readiness test is crucial to determine if your network can handle data and voice together. Most SIP providers can access your communications technology to determine where you are ready to go, or where you need to make changes first. Those who have an MPLS network may need only to add more bandwidth. Those who are running an ATM or frame relay network may want to upgrade to MPLS, and then run voice over that to get a return on your investment.
Voice Compatibility
You want to take a look at the specifics of your data network to be sure it handles all of the voice applications needed for SIP trunking in every sort of call situation. This includes more complex applications, such as contact center, call transfer, message services, and speech recognition. Testing each, and evaluating the results, is important to ensure SIP is right for you.
Service Class
When choosing a SIP service provider, you want to pick one that offers high-quality services. That includes the ability to prioritize voice over data to ensure the top voice quality. Those on MPLS networks can look for an end-to-end class of service capabilities, while Internet users will want a class of service capabilities, to ensure spikes in traffic do not have a negative effect on calls.
At RingLeader, we offer a full suite of flexible, per-minute SIP trunking plans for any size business. Learn more about how much you could be saving by switching to RingLeader’s Carrier-Connect SIP here and find a plan that’s right for you!