As the Voice over Internet Protocol continues to become the new telecommunications standard in the United States, there are a few facts associated with this service that should be reviewed by business owners in the High Desert who may still be undecided about switching to VoIP.
In recent years, members of the information security community have increased their efforts to make VoIP a truly secure communications channel. The same cannot be said about legacy systems such as landline telephones, which security researchers are no longer dedicating as much attention to. Landlines have always been at much greater risk of eavesdropping and illegal wiretapping; in fact, spy shops now sell devices called acoustic bugs that just about anyone can use to build a sophisticated landline wiretap. Meanwhile, VoIP security experts are working to develop stronger encryption and other safeguards, and this is largely due to the revelations presented by Edward Snowden about massive surveillance a few years ago.,
Up until a couple of years ago, business owners in Apple Valley and Victorville had every reason to be worried about whether their internet connection could handle VoIP service. Poor bandwidth management was a valid concern, but that is no longer the case. Internet service providers have greatly improved broadband access and latency for their subscribers and VoIP network architecture is now designed to work properly even during periods of high bandwidth allocation.
Although telephone companies engaged in very competitive pricing against VoIP a few years ago, they have mostly reached their limits with regard to legacy PBX equipment. The cost of VoIP is based on the cost of maintaining an office network, which is an essential business necessity. Even when PBX and VoIP monthly pricing are the same, the business advantages offered by VoIP make it the smarter choice.
In April 2016, a devastating earthquake struck the South American nation of Ecuador, killing hundreds of people and disrupting electrical service in many regions. Landline networks were also affected, but VoIP proved to be a lifesaver. Unaffected wireless internet networks allowed amateur radio operators to activate the EchoLink system, which is based on VoIP. Thanks to EchoLink, radio operators were able to connect and spread their signals around the world to coordinate immediate rescue efforts. Since California is a seismic region that enjoys the wireless broadband coverage, VoIP could prove very useful in case of an earthquake.