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Michigan Technology Voip Article
VoWiFi
The introduction of wireless technology for networking devices has been a great leap towards computer users’ increased mobility. With the help of a wireless network interface card, you can have an Internet connection without stumbling on cables all over the place. It was only a matter of time before VoIP, the new telecommunication technology that enables telephone conversations over the Internet, was adapted to comply with wireless standards. Now, users can enjoy low calling fees and freedom of movement.
The phones used for this are often referred to VoWiFi (voice over wireless fidelity) phones. They are not the same as cordless VoIP phones – which can only be used in your home, within a range similar to a regular cordless phone. VoWiFi enables you to talk on your phone when you’re traveling as well.
Naturally, in order to use your VoIP phone when you’re away from home, you will need to have wireless access. When your phone detects the proximity of an access point to a wireless network – an area also referred to as a wireless hotspot – it can connect to the Internet for free and you can start using it to make and receive calls. It all looks very much like cellular telephony, though the technological concept is completely different.
The cost of using a VoWiFi phone is quite low, as would be expected from the VoIP technology. These reduced costs are due to the fact that data packet transmission over the Internet is a lot less expensive than standard telephony, and VoIP is not subject to the same taxes that apply to PSTN. In addition to that, VoWiFi allows you to use any hotspot for free.
Hard as it may seem to believe, there are no roaming charges associated with voice over wireless fidelity. All these are reasons why more and more people are making the switch towards VoIP and VoWiFi. Major companies such as Vonage and Verizon are already producing, or preparing to produce VoWiFi phones, further encouraging this change that has begun in telecommunications.
Still, even though many people and companies are beginning to subscribe to VoIP services, there are not so many using VoWiFi. The reason is that, while VoIP can successfully replace landlines in terms of functionality, the same cannot be said of VoWiFi and cellular telephony: the latter has been around for quite some time now and cellular networks cover wide enough areas for you to be able to use your phone practically anywhere; the former is still in its early stages and hotspots are not exactly widespread. This means that you will often have no connection available.
The creation of hybrid phones has been found as a solution to this problem. These phones support both VoWiFi and cellular operation. When a hotspot is available, the phone will operate as a VoWiFi device, letting you enjoy the favorable calling rates. The moment you move out of the hotspot, instead of just losing connection and rendering you unreachable, the hybrid phone will switch to cellular mode.
The technological developments in the field of VoWiFi have been quite rapid and significant, which gives us reasons to assume that the present difficulties regarding limited connectivity will soon be overcome. A solution also needs to be found regarding the availability of the 911 service. At present, there are serious problems arising from the impossibility to accurately locate a caller using VoIP (even the fixed version, not just the WiFi kind, because your home VoIP telephone can also be connected to another modem in another place).
While new standards are being developed and solutions are being found, the legal aspects of VoIP and VoWiFi also need to be defined. The FCC is working on regulations that will enable their correct assignation to a class of services with its own applicable laws. It is very likely that we are going to witness quite a few changes in the near future. Till then, however, VoWiFi does offer obvious advantages, and it would be a pity not to benefit from them.
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