[Wayne]

I posted a response yesterday questioning whether Videotron's new phone service is VoIP. No one has responded to that post, but this brings up an interesting point - how do you define VoIP?

My definition (which may not be technically correct) is where the service is completely independent of the physical infrastucture. Therefore I could take my ATA (or softphone or PC) anywhere in the world, plug it in to the internet and I would be able to make calls and receive calls at my regular phone number.

The service that Videotron is offering does not appear to work over your internet connection - it seems to work over separate bandwidth that is available over Videotron's network. This would only work if you are at home, or perhaps at the house of someone else with Videotron cable.

It appears that Shaw and Rogers may be offering similar service to Videotron - using separate bandwidth - not your internet connection.

Is this a good or bad thing? Will this help them compete with the likes of Vonage and Primus or hurt them?

Will the phone companies be offereing true VoIP?

 

[james99]

It's not VOIP, it's described as:

"Unlike other cable TV phone systems that use voice-over-InternetProtocol, Videotron uses what it calls a hybrid infrastructure,combining both IP and switches to access regular telephone lines thatBell is obliged to make available under federal law."


Sprint Canada has had VOIP since the summer but it's expensive.

 

[thenewdc]

Videotron and all the others are definitely using VOIP technology. Whether or not they use SIP or H.323 for completing the calls makes no difference. Using IP based networks is what brings down the cost of offering the service altogether. What the cable companies are doing is utilizing their own infastructures through a private IP network which is more efficient. This way VOIP traffic doesnt interfere with your Internet bandwidth whatsoever. In essence they are using a separate incoming and outgoing channel just for VOIP, and another separate incoming and outgoing channel for your Hi-speed Internet connection. VOIP companies like Vonage which dont have their own private restricted IP networks share the bandwidth with your Internet connection, while this works quite well for the most part it is certainly not as efficient.

 

[Wayne]

Too bad. If all of these providers (Videotron, Rogers, Shaw, Bell Canada, Telus) were offering true VoIP then they could all be direct competitors. James99 and I in the GTA could have our local phone service provided by Videotron, assuming that they offered 416,647 or 905 area codes.

 

[Wayne]

VOIP companies like Vonage which dont have their own private restricted IP networks share the bandwidth with your Internet connection, while this works quite well for the most part it is certainly not as efficient.

But Vonage and true VoIP providers break the link between geography and service and lead to the unbundling of wire providers and service providers which is very empowering. We have all heard about the Silicon Valley programmers sending a US based VoIP ATA back to India so that they can call home for the price of a local phone call. You can't do that with this service from Videotron.

VoIP guru Jeff Pulver calls this Broadband Parasitism and it could (and I think will) complete disrupt the telecoms business. Just watch, in a few years the same thing will happen with cell phone service once WiFi networks become pervasive in urban areas. You will be able to make wireless VoIP calls over a WiFi network rather than using proprietary cell networks of Bell, Rogers or Telus. Again this will unbundle the service from the network provider.

 

[Jake]

same thing will happen with cell phone service once WiFi networks become pervasive in urban areas.

Does wifi have the bandwidth for this? I would think that they could only handle a limited number of calls at the same time.

 

[hugh]

I define it Voice Over Internet Protocol!

To me its VoIP when you're sending voice in packets instead of using circuit switching like POTS.

Frankly Videotron may call it a hybrid but its still using IP.

 

[Wayne]

Does wifi have the bandwidth for this? I would think that they could only handle a limited number of calls at the same time.

True but as the wireless standards get faster then you can hold more callers. I believe VoIP takes about 100kbps. Therefore assuming that you could get the full 802.11g bandwidth of 54 Mbps (and that is a huge assumption) you could carry 540 callers. That's more people than fit in the average Starbucks.

There are phones that are supposed to be available today that can switch between WiFi and cellular, or you can use a PocketPC with a WiFi card as a VoIP phone.

 

[Wayne]

Videotron and all the others are definitely using VOIP technology. Whether or not they use SIP or H.323 for completing the calls makes no difference. Using IP based networks is what brings down the cost of offering the service altogether.

Doesn't it make a difference in terms of interconnecting to other VoIP providers. If they were using SIP then would they not be able to tie into other VoIP providers without going through the POTS network? This usually allows for free calls, as there is no cost as long as you are not connecting into the POTS network.

Will Videotron even offer free in-network calls they way that most VoIP providers like Vonage do?

 

[Jean Claude]

>>Will Videotron even offer free in-network calls they way that most VoIP providers like Vonage do?<<

Yes free LD to any Videotron telephonr user.

And there are hint that that they will have some sort of rooter ie ala Vonage later so they can offert there voip to any hight speed internet user. Will they aoffer other area code outside those in Quebec? (514,450,819) That i do not know.

 

[nelia1978]

I have a question in Regards to Videotron.. do they use SIP??

 

[Wayne]

I have a question in Regards to Videotron.. do they use SIP??

I am not sure if they do or not, but even if they did you wouldn't be able to connect into it since their service, like all cable VoIP, runs over a proprietary IP network, not the internet.