What Is VoIP?

Date First Published: 17th February 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Internet Protocols

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Advantages and Disadvantages Of VoIP
Examples of VoIP Apps

Learn more about what VoIP is in this article.

Short for Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP is a technology used for the delivery of voice communications over the internet. It converts the voice of users into a digital signal that travels over the internet, sends the voice as data, and allows them to make a phone call or video call over a computer, a VoIP phone, and other devices.

Note:

VoIP uses network packets by the Internet Protocol (IP) to allow much more information to be sent over the network, such as phone calls, text messages, faxes, voice messages, and more.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of VoIP

The advantages of VoIP are:

It is cheaper. VoIP does not use a phone line or a mobile network which is often cheaper than normal phone lines, since phone calls do not have to be paid for based on distance, the country that the phone call is being made from, the period of time that the call has lasted for, etc.
It results in clearer sound quality. VoIP often provides improved sound quality without any interruptions, drops, or delays by the phone line.
It is flexible. VoIP can be used in any location with internet access.

The disadvantages of VoIP are:

A fast internet connection is required at all times. VoIP is inaccessible when the internet is down or unavailable and requires a strong internet connection throughout the entire call.
It is less secure. Since VoIP uses data packets for communicating over the internet and transmitting information, there can be security concerns, especially when using a public network connection. Landline phone calls are still vulnerable to wiretapping, but VoIP is even more vulnerable.
Limited access to emergency services. It is not possible for emergency calls to be made if there is no internet connection and it can be difficult to identify the location of a user.

Examples of VoIP Apps

As of now, a lot of VoIP apps exist for making video calls over the internet without the use of any phone lines or mobile data for computers, smartphones, and other devices, which include: