Why Can't VoIP Provide Higher Reliability and Real-Time Performance in the Public Internet?

The internet, built upon IP technology, operates without strict regulations, ensuring that every packet is treated equally. This approach, while allowing for flexible data routing, poses challenges for real-time applications like VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Unlike traditional telephone networks, VoIP traffic lacks the accountability and prioritization mechanisms that ensure high reliability and real-time performance.

Understanding the Differences: Telephone vs. Internet

In a traditional telephone network, a call connects three main parties: the local carrier, the long-distance carrier, and the dialed number's local carrier. Each of these entities has a vested interest in maintaining high-quality service, as they manage their own network infrastructure. They can be held accountable for the performance of the call, ensuring consistent service to their customers.

The Internet's Shared Infrastructure

In contrast, the internet is a shared infrastructure where different networks must collaborate to transmit data. When a VoIP packet leaves your computer, it travels through the internet service provider (ISP) to an ISP under a different provider, and so on, until it reaches its destination. This collaborative approach introduces unpredictability and accountability issues, making it challenging to ensure consistent service quality.

Packet Switching and Accountability

Packet switching, the fundamental process of the internet, treats all packets equally. This means that while a packet might get priority in one segment of the network, it could experience delays or dropped packets in another segment. This lack of consistent prioritization means that VoIP calls can suffer from lower reliability and unpredictable real-time performance.

Redefining Quality of Service (QoS) in VoIP

While routers and switches can be configured to prioritize VoIP traffic, this requires cooperation from every network element along the path. This is often impractical due to the diverse nature of the internet. Even when prioritization is achieved, re-routing of packets in case of network failures can introduce significant delays, leading to periods of silence during a call.

Private vs. Public Network Infrastructure

To achieve high reliability and real-time performance, VoIP providers must consider private circuit solutions. A private circuit guarantees direct, consistent communication between endpoints, without the risks associated with shared internet infrastructure. This approach ensures that the network characteristics required for VoIP are maintained, providing a more consistent and reliable service.

Conclusion

The current design of the internet does not cater to the needs of real-time applications like VoIP. Therefore, if high reliability and performance are critical, VoIP users should consider utilizing private circuits directly to their service provider. This approach offers a controlled environment that ensures consistent service and meets the demands of real-time communication.

Key Takeaways

VoIP performance and reliability issues arise due to the public internet's lack of prioritization and accountability. Relying on the public internet for VoIP can lead to inconsistent service quality. Using private circuits directly to VoIP providers ensures high performance and reliability. Understanding the differences between telephone networks and the internet is crucial for meeting real-time application needs.