In Switzerland, the plug will soon be pulled completely on analogue fixed network telephony; this means that all analogue telephone connections and ISDN will disappear. In the future, fixed network telephony and all related services will run over the Internet Protocol (IP). This is what companies must now take into account.
What was considered a groundbreaking invention in the 19th century hardly meets the increasing demands today: the analogue telephone. The ISDN connection is now also considered outdated and too inflexible. That is why a new technology has become more and more popular in recent years: Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short.
Reliable as ever, but with new advantages
In contrast to classical telephony, with VoIP the calls are not transmitted via the telephone line, but via the internet connection. This technology works reliably and simply. The voice quality does not decrease either, because with modern IP telephones customers can make calls in HD voice quality. "Spoken language is time-critical," says Josef Furger, Senior Product Manager B2B at UPC Switzerland. "It is a continuous communication that does not allow any delays. If a website interrupts briefly while you are loading, you hardly notice. In a conversation, however, it is immensely disturbing. With VoIP, there is therefore a prioritisation of telephony in the network, and also thanks to today's bandwidths, telephony is no longer impaired." For companies, VoIP offers other great advantages: the telephone system can be easily and arbitrarily expanded to connect new locations or employees. In addition, VoIP technology is also cheaper compared to conventional analogue and ISDN solutions, as there is no need to maintain a separate infrastructure for sound transmission. "From the operator's point of view, telephony is hardly a separate service any more, but a natural extension of internet access," says Furger. This also allows considerable savings in call costs. Employees of companies also particularly appreciate the flexible possibilities that VoIP brings with it. Says Furger: "Regardless of whether someone is working from home or travelling on business, thanks to VoIP they can always be reached at the same number - and without a physical infrastructure." Furthermore, with a smartphone app, the landline number can also be used worldwide at the usual call rates.
VoIP is just the beginning
Not only telephony, but also video calls in HD quality are reliably possible today thanks to higher internet bandwidths. "The one or other meeting can thus easily be shifted into the virtual room. And without any additional investment: A laptop and a fast internet connection are all that is needed," Furger elaborates.
Investment protection: voice services for old telephone systems
The switch to VoIP brings many advantages, but traditional ISDN telephone systems and alarm or home automation systems no longer work. In some cases, companies would have to dig deep into their pockets to convert them. UPC Switzerland therefore continues to offer ISDN connections for telephone systems, only the transmission is done via IP. The telephone system is connected to a VoIP gateway. This means that the existing ISDN telephone system can continue to be used. Furger says: "With this solution we can offer companies investment protection. Because a company that is still bound to a current contract including financing of its telephone system does not have to change its system. So with UPC Switzerland, companies have a choice."