BICOL STATE COLLEGE OF APLLIED SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

College of Engineering and Architecture

Peñafrancia Avenue, Naga City

VoIP: Voice-over Internet Protocol

An Overview of Techniques and Challenges

Alyssa Mae D. Ricafort

ECE Elective 2: Telephony

Engr. Dominic P. Bolima

15 November 2019
 ABSTRACT

VoIP: An Overview of Techniques and Challenges

Alyssa Mae D. Ricafort

Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology (BISCAST)
Email: ricafortalyssa@gmail.com; Mobile: +639482155039

In communication, VoIP is the most popular emerging technologies wherein one can able to

communicate all over the world using the VoIP service provider. With the advancement of technologies it

is now easier to have and use the features of an inexpensive VoIP with QoS and security considerations.

With the evolution of voice communication systems, introductions to a massive computer networks

emerge which we now called Internet. Computer networks features, having functions with limitations; all

follow certain rules of communications when exchanging information which are called network protocols.

These are a formal set of rules that dictate the ways in which computers communicate with one another

over a network medium. Today, one of the leading computer networks in voice communications systems

is the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) that mainly based on voice communications that provides

services by using an internet protocol (IP). Adoption of VoIP in the past and in the present became one of

the assets in the communication field wherein more people over the world get to experience the benefits

associated with it rather than the traditional and expensive PSTN technology. Although, there are several

standard emerges there are only two of the primary standards and protocols, SIP and H.323, that are used

today. Implementing VoIP became more than just voice communications technology because of the new

developments in the technology, its scope and application. The versatility, flexibility and cost

effectiveness of VoIP are also improved. The significance of implementation of VoIP locally and

internationally can’t be overstated.

 I

INTRODUCTION

The advancement of technology in communication systems undergoes a rapid growth all over the

world with the increasing usage and development of telephones for conveying human speech information

(voice) which are now also used extensively to transport data. With the evolution of voice communication

systems, introductions to a massive computer networks emerge which we now called Internet. This

computer network makes people all over the world able to communicate by sharing common functions

and features which are connected using a server. In today’s computer networks which is internet,

transmissions via cable or wireless connections can run along with fiber optics and microwave

frequencies. Computer networks features, having functions with limitations; all follow certain rules of

communications when exchanging information which are called network protocols. These are a formal set

of rules that dictate the ways in which computers communicate with one another over a network medium

[1]. One of the protocols that constitute the backbone of networking is Internet Protocol which is

presented for inter-computer communications and in particular for communications between multiple

applications that may run on one computer.

Today, one of the leading computer networks in voice communications systems is the Voice over

Internet Protocol (VoIP) that mainly based on voice communications that provides services by using an

internet protocol (IP). VoIP simply converts voice signal which is analog to a digital signal in the

telephones before compressing and encoding it into long strings of IP Packets for upward transmission

over the IP network to the receiver. At the receiving end, the received IP packets reassembles in order

before decompressing and processing through the use of Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) to generate

the initial signal transmitted. [3]

1.1 Overview of Voice- over Internet Protocol

In early days, traditional phone systems are usually on trend to some user but some

drawbacks of using a traditional telephone includes a more expensive for a total cost of

ownership which also requires a hardware cards that are costly, product features need to be

updated manually or through a purchase of an upgraded or new system, and no power no phone

can be used and this loses communications to the costumer [8]. With the rate at which the

technology developed, VoIP lowers the cost of phone calls which is the first and most important

incentive to choose instead of traditional phone systems that are costly. More particularly, VoIP

calls carried over the Internet are cheaper and can save a lot of money especially for large

enterprises that have to handle a huge number of calls on daily basis. Another reason for giving

the preference to VoIP calling is surely a flexible implementation of the VoIP network. This

means that there is no need for additional hardware since the only device required for VoIP

service performance is the VoIP phone system. Portability should also be included among the list of

benefits that VoIP offers over traditional telephone networks. With the convenience of being able to make

and receive calls from any location using the same phone number VoIP takes the lead. Multi-functionality

is another remarkable advantage bringing VoIP services far ahead. Call forwarding, call waiting, paging,

group calls, speed dialling and lots of other features deliver more enhanced call processing opportunities

that can bring to higher productivity. And lastly, the capability of involving multiple users into VoIP

package is not a less important feature VoIP may boast about. Such scalability of a VoIP network is

perfect for small and large business communities for a better management of business communication.
1.2 Technical Aspects of Technologies behind Voice- over IP

https://www.esds.co.in/blog/voip-voice-over-internet-protocol-architecture-and-features/

Figure 1 VoIP Architecture

VoIP hardware consists of the network equipment required to initiate, route and manage virtual

voice sessions. The hardware also includes the devices used to make and receive calls.  

 IP PBX

The IP PBX is the main control equipment for any VoIP implementation. It doesn’t handle

the actual VoIP stream which flows directly between the endpoints. It only handles the control or

setup of calls and routing network traffic flows. In the case of hosted VoIP, the vendor sets up and

maintains the IP PBX, which is usually software-based.

  Endpoint Devices

Endpoint devices can be dedicated hardware devices or software applications which are

calls between IP phones, computers, smartphones or a mix of everything. IP desk phones look

and work like traditional phones, but they are compatible with VoIP protocols. Meanwhile, there

are apps that you can download on computers and smartphones to handle VoIP calling

functionality. For the purpose of making a VoIP call, the endpoint device doesn’t matter.

 IP Network

VoIP networking connects all the various components of VoIP. The voice data packets travel

over IP networks between the source and destination. It should be able to differentiate between data

and voice packets and be able to prioritize them as well.

 VoIP and Media Gateways

Media gateways perform various functions including analog to digital conversions, echo

cancellation, and silence suppression, among others. Some gateways also include the ability to

connect to the PSTN for completing calls while others provide analog interfaces to VoIP networks.

1.3 Current Status of Voice-over IP

 Local

In 2005, NTC issued rules for 3G even before it became available in the Philippines, and it

classified as VoIP as value added service so that telecommunication industries can offer it. With

this the Department of Information and Communications Technology used the RA No. 10929, or

the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, which enables users to connect to public internet

access points without a fee [10]. Currently, there are some telecommunication industries which

provide Premier IP communications in the Philippines. They usually offer a broad range of

innovative services such as VoIP services provides high call quality voice and quick
 interconnection time. There are several companies offering softphones or VoIP technology,

targeting millions of Filipinos abroad and their families back home [2].

 International

VoIP are being offered not just by local but also by long- distance telephone operators,

cable television companies, internet service providers, non- facilities- based independent

provider, and mobile operators around the world. The growth of VoIP globally is all the more

remarkable initially because VoIP are often resisted by incumbents, Ministries and governments

in many countries where the incumbent is state- owned, including many developing countries.

Some current regulatory approaches towards VoIP based on the survey of country approaches.

This includes: VoIP has been made illegal to protect the revenues, VoIP is unregulated, absence

or lack of regulation which often through public consultation, VoIP may be subjected to similar/

same regulation as PSTN depending on the technology used and VoIP may be subjected to its

own set of regulations with its own specific licenses [5].

1.4 Applications of VoIP

In today’s VoIP includes category of hardware and software that enables people to use the

Internet as the transmission medium for telephone calls. Aside from transporting of voice, VoIP based in

SIP are already used for messaging and alerting. In hardware aspect, every computer, laptop,

smartphones, tablet has all the important components necessary for VoIP mechanism which includes a

speaker, microphone, amplifier, ADC and DAC. Also software that uses VoIP mechanism are in trend

which we also use for our everyday communication it’s either be short or long distances communications.

Below are some examples of application software that make use of Internet to communicate that includes

Skype, WhatsApp, Google Voice, Messenger, imo and other software that identifies and establishes a call

between the caller and user. Some of these applications also emerge because of improvements and
development that now provides a directory, call recording facilities, voice to text conversion, and a host

of other features [6].

In the future applications, there is a greater requirement to exchange data in the field of

telephony. This upholds a multimodal integration of speech, text, pictures, and web interactions that will

take on a single hardware. It can also be considered that this will be made using and Artificial Intelligence

to just simply establish phone calls or etc. 5G connections is also considered in the future since it can

boosts speed and helps expand VoIP. Actually, several things that we imagine can happen as the days go

by.

II

PROTOCOLS AND STANDARDS IN VoIP

As we all know, VoIP stands for Voice- over Internet Protocol, meaning it has a set of rules that

hardware uses to govern and explain the communication between users and subscriber. There are several

VoIP protocols that we have today and they are use in different reasons and functions which are deployed

in the systems. In addition, businesses and organizations use the best VoIP protocol that will meet their

requirements accordingly to their set of operations. Some of the variety of different VoIP protocols and

standards includes:

(1) G711. It is the most widely used VoIP Vocoder and a standard for transmitting uncompressed

packets.

(2) G.729. Standard for transmitting compressed packets.

(3) H.248. ITU Recommendation that defines “Gateway Control Protocol”, which also referred to as

IETF RFC 2885 (Megaco). It is a centralized architecture for creating multimedia applications

and extends MGCP.

(4) H323. It is the signalling protocol that is used to control and manage the call.
(5) Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). Also known as IETF RFC 2705 which is also a

centralized architecture for creating multimedia applications.

(6) Real- time Transport Protocol (RTP). It is a VoIP protocol that is defined under IETF RFC

1889 that details a transport protocol for real- time applications.

(7) Real Time Protocol (RTP). It is a data exchange protocol which can handle both audio and

video.

(8) Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Also known as IETF RCF 2543 which defines a distributed

architecture for creating multimedia applications.

However, for a vast variety of users, there are only two main protocols that are given

more focus. The most popular protocols currently utilized for UC are:

o Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

It is intended as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard for

multimedia operations and sessions. This IETF is a community of engineers that defines

some of the prominent standards used on the Internet (including the VoIP) and seeks to

spread understanding and ways how they works. IETF categorizes SIP as a standard for

audio, video and instant or team messaging. SIP is said to be modular wherein it can be

changed depending on the type of data transmission. It is also designed for only a specific

approach. Thus, VoIP and IM communications can work on different aspects.

o H.323

International Telecommunication Union (ITU) established H.323 as an

international standard for multimedia communication over packet- switched networks.

This describes the type of network in which a relatively small units of data called packets

are routed through a network based on the destination address contain to each packet [9].
 H.323 can include Local Area Network (LANs), Wide Area Networks (WANs),

and also the general internet that we used today. H.323 is said to be the “umbrella” which

includes multiple standards such as H.225.0, H.245, H.460. H.323 is simply a set of

standards for legacy and traditional phones that communicate over the function of PSTN

that focuses on real- time voice, video, data communication, capable of video and voice

conferencing and lastly, it is specifically designed to operate on IP Networks.

Although both SIP and H.323 are considered as signalling method for voice and video over IP

Networks some attribute made them differs from each other. The table below summarizes how SIP and

H.323 differs [4].

Table 1 Comparison between SIP and H.323

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) H.323

IETF ITU
Internet- oriented Approach Telecommunications- oriented Approach
Simple, open and horizontal. Complex, deterministic and vertical.
Entities include gateways, terminals, and
Entities includes user agent as a client or server.
conferencing bridges along with a gatekeeper.
Less defined and more open which result to
Better network management and interoperability.
interoperability difficulties.
SIP commands are coded in text. Written in binary code.
Wide Area Network (WAN) Local Area Network (LAN)
Flexible Specific
Media agnostic Not expanded much for media.

Both functions of SIP and H.323 are the same: from initiating and receiving calls but because of

its different origin and approaches there are some drawbacks that appear for the both of them. This

includes:

 H.323 works very well for VoIP and video conferencing however; it has not been updated much

in the last 10 years and doesn’t power team messaging.

  SIP has more flexibility and, therefore, more use cases with even more features and functions

available. Overall, it has a wider range of functions, and while less specifically focused on voice

calls, it’s still completely capable [7].

III

RESULTS and DISCUSSION

In communication, VoIP is the most popular emerging technologies wherein one can able to

communicate all over the world using the VoIP service provider. With the advancement of technologies it

is now easier to have and use the features of an inexpensive VoIP with QoS and security considerations.

Adoption of VoIP in the past and in the present became one of the assets in the communication field

wherein more people over the world get to experience the benefits associated with it rather than the

traditional and expensive PSTN technology. Based from the discussion two of the main standards and

protocols, SIP and H.323, implementing VoIP became more than just voice communications technology

because of the new developments in the technology, its scope and application its versatility, flexibility

and cost effectiveness are also then improved. The significance of implementation of VoIP locally and

internationally can’t be overstated.

 References

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