VOIP Over Satellite Internet: A White Paper from Galaxy Broadband Communications

April 2007

Voice over IP or VoIP is fast becoming accepted as a communication platforma.Svrha this paper is to describe the particular challenges with VoIP over satellite, including the inherent latency of satellite connections and their impact on the quality of VoIP.
At Galaxy Broadband we have been involved with VoIP over satellite for many years and understand the unique advantages and disadvantages of this technology, users are faced with. We experimented with various hardware and software configurations and service over the years with both success and failure. This article will provide background issues and present our recommendations.

Who should consider using VoIP over satellite
If you are contemplating purchasing a satellite Internet system just so you can eliminate your phone company and save $ 35.00 a month, we suggest you reconsider. Voice over Satellite Internet should be considered as a viable option only if you do not have a reliable wired telephone line. Those in remote areas where cell phone, radiophones, or satellite phones are the only options for communicating with the outside world can benefit from this technology and should seriously evaluate the benefits, including cost savings.

VoIP as a technology
VoIP begins when a regular telephone connected to a local device called an ATA or VoIP router. This device converts actual sound waves into packets of data through a process called a codec. Not all the same codecs, and it's very important that users use the right one, especially when using a satellite connection. These packets travel in the same way as data packets to the destination (VoIP Service Provider) where they are converted back from data packets to the sound waves for the calling number to hear.

amusing story we like to say about VoIP over satellite Internet is a geologist working at the drilling site in northern Alberta. Before installing your new system, the geologist had to drive several miles to a hilltop to make calls to cell phones are usually hit or miss if connected at all. Due to their daily billing rate to be a costly endeavor, let alone the inconvenience factor. His newly installed satellite Internet configured for VoIP offered calling from the comfort of your camp, but if the connection is interrupted or failed in any way, even a syllable is missing, it will immediately complain and cuss about the technology! Why would he react this way when 99% of his calls were good enough to carry on a conversation? You will not see him or anyone else tossing a cell phone out the window during frequent "burps" so why the lack of tolerance in VoIP? The answer lies in the peculiar perception about VoIP created by a combination of expectations in new technology and popular culture.

VoIP over Satellite Internet works, but it's not perfect. In fact, VoIP technology is not perfected itself, let alone the additional complications due to satellite veza.Kvaliteta voice can be quite good, often better than a cell phone call, but it is definitely not a toll on the quality of most modern terrestrial telephone network.

Satellite Latency and its impact on VoIP
Latency is a term that describes the time it takes a packet to its destination. It is usually expressed in milliseconds, or ms. Since the satellites are located 23,000 miles above the equator, the satellite signals travel at light speed, this journey takes about 540 ms. Then add to the latency of the various Internet hops and servers and VoIP service provider networks to end with a total latency ranging from 650 ms to 700ms or more, depending on the state of the Internet itself. Another factor could be the quality of your satellite signal, which can cause packets to be resent. This delay can be heard as a delay between the sender and the recipient's ear. Users of VoIP over satellite need to learn how to communicate with this inherent latency just like the older press-to-talk radio phone. Furthermore, the delay requires users to be patient and refrain from interrupting calls.

VoIP on the ground
Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to multiple hops and link to the internet sama.Tehnologija is good, and probably getting better but still not perfect.

Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to multiple hops and link to the internet sama.Tehnologija is good, and probably getting better but still not perfect.

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Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to multiple hops and link to the internet sama.Tehnologija is good, and probably getting better but still not perfect.

...
Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to multiple hops and link to the internet sama.Tehnologija is good, and probably getting better but still not perfect.

...
Even using terrestrial low latency connections, VoIP is still facing challenges due to multiple hops and link to the internet sama.Tehnologija is good, and probably getting better but still not perfect.

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