VOIP and DS3
Many companies that use DS3 lines use voice over internet protocol systems as well. If you have a small or big business and are interested in using these systems, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the way these systems work. To start, it is helpful to know that DS3 stands for Digital Signal level 3. That represents the procedure that runs on the physical T3 line. DS3 is a TDM or Time Division Multiplexed synchronous format is how it is described. The system runs at 44.736 Mbps, which we usually call 45 Mbps for short. The transmission rate of 44.736 Mbps is not some arbitrary number. It has to be that speed so that DS1 signals that are carried on T1 lines can also be carried on T3 lines.
If you have a large organization, you might be interested in the fact that you will have 45 Mbps as your Internet service connection with DS3. If you need a lot more bandwidth than the 1.5 Mbps delivered by a T1 line, it might be time to step up to DS3 service delivered on a T3 line. In addition, there are two types of T3 circuits. The oldest is channelized T3 which is used to transport digitized telephone calls. Each channel is 64 Kbps wide and carries one phone call. A T1 line can carry 24 of these DS0 channels. A T3 line carries 672 of them or 28 DS1s. A device called an M13 Multiplexer combines the 28 DS1s and gets them aligned in the proper time slots to make a DS3, which can then be carried on a T3 line. The other type of T3 format is unchannelized.
VoIP is an acronym for voice over IP, which is, voice delivered using the Internet Protocol. This term is used in IP telephony for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using the Internet Protocol (IP). This means sending voice information in digital form in packets rather than in the traditional circuit committed protocols of the public switched telephone network. A major advantage of VoIP and Internet telephony is that it avoids the tolls charged by ordinary telephone service.
VoIP is a technology that allows telephone calls to be transmitted via the Internet using a broadband connection. Broadband is the common term for a high bandwidth Internet connection, one that can transmit or download information up to 40 times faster than a traditional telephone and modem. VoIP sound quality has also developed with higher bandwidth, equaling a carrier-grade connection. VoIP will provide you with all the standard amenities of a traditional phone line, it also features additional functions rare to analog lines, depending on your chosen provider.
VoIP derives from the VoIP Forum, an effort by major equipment providers, including Cisco, VocalTec, 3Com, and Netspeak to promote the use of ITU-T H.323, the standard for sending voice (audio) and video using IP on the public Internet and within an intranet. The Forum also promotes the user of directory service standards so that users can locate other users and the use of touch-tone signals for automatic call distribution and voice mail. In addition to IP, VoIP uses the real-time protocol to help ensure that packets get delivered in a timely way. Using public networks, it is currently difficult to guarantee Quality of Service (QoS). Better service is possible with private networks managed by an enterprise or by an Internet telephony service provider.
