VoIP and the GSM networks... few questions!

peustace

I have one or two questions concerning VoIP and mobile phones on a GSM network. My tech speak in this area is very limited so bear with me.

I'm writing an article on the future of VoIP and we're looking at VoIP on mobile phones. From what I'm reading on the net once there's a WiFi presence and your mobile phone can detect WiFi networks it will connect to this network and you can make free VoIP phone calls. (is this right??)

What we're wondering is what happens when you move outside the WiFi signal range? I've looked at WiMax but this seems like a few years away yet. My question is can a mobile phone make VoIP calls outside of a WiFi network? Is this data send over the GSM network? Or does the phone have to be connected to the Internet and then VoIP calls can take place?

Really appreciate any thoughts on above!
Thanks

matrim

Look up fixed mobile convergence (FMC) for more information on this.

If you have software on the phone for it and are connected to a supporting server, what this can do is swap the call from the VoIP network (on low signal), to the GSM network so you can continue on the call.

If you are a mobile operation and setup a full IMS (IP Multimedia subsystem) server, you can also switch GSM calls to VoIP when you enter the a WiFi area.

tak

Firstly, you must get the full technical possibilities, as well as feasibilities and economic realities, from a proper telecoms engineers - e.g. contributors like Watty. Put out no article without their input. Guys like me are just users who know a small little bit.

From what I'm reading on the net once there's a WiFi presence and your mobile phone can detect WiFi networks it will connect to this network and you can make free VoIP phone calls. (is this right??)

Only certain phones will allow this. And the appropriate software to manage WiFi VoIP from them must be installed. Even then not all mobile network operators in every country will allow those VoIP enabled phones to do do that for reasons of losing revenues.

What we're wondering is what happens when you move outside the WiFi signal range?
As far as I know I think that no VoIP calls can be sent once outside the WiFi zone. One may connect to the internet via e.g. HSPDA but I do not believethat the mobile network operators will allow VoIP through this.
(I hope that I am wrong on this!)

One thing more:-
Most commercial VoIP companies will be able to offer a means of making a cheaper mobile call by routing the call through the internet for most of the way. For example a call from a mobile in say Newcastle, Co Dublin to a landline in Sydney would be routed fas follows:
From Newcasle to the Dublin VoIP server by cellular network - 15c / min
From VoIP server in Dublin to Sydney landline via VoIP - 1.6 c / min
TOTAL = 16.6 c / min.
Not as good as full mobile VoIP but not too frightful bad either.

peustace

Ok thanks guys, cleared up a bit.

Again another bit of questions and excuse the ignorance.

So what we're looking at in the future is that a mobile phone will be able to connect to a VoIP server nearby and the voice data will be sent over the internet in pakcets rather than the standard method, is this a fair assumption? And this will significantly reduce the price?

Now if your phone can support WiFi and you move into a wireless network area your phone will switch over (if capable) and send most of its data over the VoIP protocols. Who will run this WiFi network? Is it the telecommunications companies? Local authority? And will the cost be pay as you go are do you envisage some sort of subscription process?

Thanks again guys

matrim

peustace wrote: »

So what we're looking at in the future is that a mobile phone will be able to connect to a VoIP server nearby and the voice data will be sent over the internet in pakcets rather than the standard method, is this a fair assumption? And this will significantly reduce the price?

This is possible now with some phones. Mobile operators are trying to prevent this either by selling the phones without voip capabilities or by blocking voip on their 3G networks.

Examples of dual mode phones you can do this with are Nokia ESeries \ NSeries. Applications you can use on other phones are Fring, Truphone. At the moment most of these are mainly for use over WiFi but if your operator allows it can be used over 3G (Note. Offically all Irish operators don't allow VoIP but it can be done on some)

peustace wrote: »

Now if your phone can support WiFi and you move into a wireless network area your phone will switch over (if capable) and send most of its data over the VoIP protocols. Who will run this WiFi network?

This is all dependant on your software and VoIP operator. Only a few companies worldwide have released this (with limited capabilities) to users but hopefully this will change in the future.

peustace wrote: »

Is it the telecommunications companies? Local authority? And will the cost be pay as you go are do you envisage some sort of subscription process?

For who will run the WiFi network, this is the big question. At the moment noone does. It's up to yourself to have one at home, work etc and your broadband provider to allow VoIP. There is also the question of will it even be WiFi in the future or will it move to 4g networks.

This is quite a large area and can't be summed up easily in a post on a message board.
At the moment it looks like the way voip is moving is FMC \ IMS. Both of these are reasonably new areas (i.e. 5 years old or less) and still changeable so your best bet is to google them and start reading.

wexfordman

A couple of other things that might interest you also, related to FMC/voip etc.

3 as you may know, allow and encourage skype use on their network
VOIP does work on most of the 3G netowrks at the moment, but probably due to the fact that usage is not high enoug to worry the operators, and 3g cells dont suffer capacity prolems yet.

The Nokia N95 is probably the best converged wifi/gsm/3g/wifi device at the moment. I have mine set up, so that whnever I come near a known wif network, my phone automatically becomes my voip device, and as suvh my home phone. My N95 is both a mobile, and a home phone when I am at home for example.

Looking at what operators might do inthe near future to fight VOIP, they could sign up to it and offer it, or they could try and kill it with thier own offereings usin existing networks, 2g and 3. For example, you can now have (as far as the regulator is concerned), fixed line to mobile number portability, ie, you can in theory port your home phone number to a mobile, and get rid of your landline. THere are restirctions to it, for example you are only allowed use it within the small group of cells covering you registered home location.

NOne of the operators in Ireland offer this, bu look at orange in the UK, who recently started offering mobile, broadband and home phone service over thier existing network.

Also look up FEMTO cells. These are effectively small very low cost gsm and/or 3g basestations that work using IP backhaul. The idea is that a consumer will connect one to thier home Broadband service, and when they are at home, their mobile will register/serve off of this femto cell/base station, which conects back to te operators core network via the internet/bb connection.

Wexfordman

craichoe

Not one provider in Ireland restricts VoIP on their 3g Network. People get confused when they read the T&C, It says the data plan doesn't provision for voice, which means you can't make calls over their regular GSM Network using that SIM.

Blueface.ie has been tested on Three, Vodafone and O2 and it works as well as it should on 3G and HSDPA.

i.e. Absolutely rubbish as there is no Quality of Service and the latency is too high.

However, saying that, you are in a NAT'd environment so you don't have a true public IP, but this is mainly for the people they envisioned using the Service to protect them from Viruses and Denial of Service attacks. In a NAT'd environment your mileage might vary with your VoIP client.

Skype is worst on 3g due to its peer to peer nature.

probe

peustace wrote: »

I have one or two questions concerning VoIP and mobile phones on a GSM network. My tech speak in this area is very limited so bear with me.

France Telecom have had this service running for a few years under the UNIK brand name. When your phone is at home, calls go over VoIP and your France Telecom (orange) broadband wifi connection at VoIP rates - ie free and unlimited calls from your mobile from home to landlines in 40 countries as well as France Telecom mobiles in France. more at: http://unik.orange.fr

Why does France Telecom do this? Answer loop unbundling at cost based wholesale charges. You can get up to 28 Mbits/sec internet access + unlimited phone calls from home to half the world + a cable TV replacement all for €29.99 from France Telecom's competitors. The only way France Telecom can better this offer is to allow calls to their mobile numbers free from your home base.

.probe