VoIP Used to Suck

In the early days of Voice over Internet Protocal (VoIP), call quality was poor.

The most common cause was the inability of data networks to support voice.

• Networks had been designed for data, not real-time voice
• Bandwidth was expensive
• The Internet was mostly text so high throughput data circuits were not in demand yet

Predictably, the quality of voice transmission was a crap shoot, and most VoIP solutions were unacceptable for businesses.

But It’s Improved Greatly Over the Years

Over time, data networks and Internet circuits have evolved. The equipment now being installed is typically “voice-aware” and as the older equipment is replaced, the overall data networks in the U.S. are getting incrementally better. Available bandwidth at affordable prices have increased in the past few years in the U.S. as well. 

For example, a few years ago, the standard business Internet connection was the T1 at a miserly speed of 1.5MB. Today, it’s possible to get several times the 1.5MB speed at a price that small business can afford.

Sadly in 2012, we still have many of those same “quality of service” challenges and we still hear many hosted pbx horror stories. Granted the success ratio is much better than before.

What to do? 

Get an ISP That Guarantees Voice

So, how does Teledynamic deal with these network challenges to successful implementations?

We partner with Sonic.net, a local California Internet Service Provider (ISP) who has taken the high road with their network. They provide a mechanism called QOS (quality of service) that guarantees that voice is given priority over data traffic. It almost sounds too easy, but we’ve had a 100% success rate with their service and our hosted PBX.

There are many other advantages to having a hosted provider partner with a quality Internet Services Provider. With Sonic, we’ve been able to streamline installation with a standardized process that we know produces great results.We eliminate the hours of fussing that are usually necessary with other carriers to fine-tune a circuit to maximize voice quality.

We also have a great relationship with their support team, again speeding service delivery. Since we know their products so well, we can provide a higher level of troubleshooting in the case of problems.

Lastly, we commit to our customers that we’ll take responsibility for managing the entire solution, including their data circuit.