VoIP Vs Cell Phone (revsion) - Essay Example

What is more, to use VoIP, a user needs to have at his or her disposal, several equipments installed. These equipments reduce portability and make the cost of usage generally expensive. As competition grows in the provision of communication services, such inhabitations as portability is likely to cause users to switch from the use of VoIP to other available services that renders them freedom with service provision. Quality of service: As far as capability is concerned, VoIP is known to undoubtedly over greater capacity that generally ensures quality of service.

For instance Tierney (2009) observes that “reportedly, mobile VoIP can offer up to 120 percent more voice capacity than a circuit-based mobile voice service, the report said.” Nonetheless, there are certain challenges with VoIP as far as quality of service is concerned. . power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power” and again, “not all VoIP services connect directly to emergency services through 9-1-1.” Reliability: The greatest challenge with reliability of the VoIP is the fact that its function depends largely on third party service providers. Gagner R.P (2005) argues for instance that “VoIP is as reliable as the network it is connected to; whether it is connected over a private IP intranet, or a Frame Relay or ATM network, or to an ISP where it is connected over the Internet.

” As much as Gagner talks of the fact that VoIP is as reliability as the network it is connected to, it also implies that VoIP may be as unreliable as the network is it connected to. Researchers have argued that whenever communication technology is made to depend on third party service providers, reliability becomes suspect. This is because the parent software and service providers hardly have any say and authority over the regulation of the activities of the third parties. The third parties work as independent institutions whose mode of work can hardly be questioned by the parent service providers.

This is a condition that puts reliability to a suspect in the use of VoIP. Spam over internet telephony: As long as VoIP continues to depend on the internet for service, the issue of spam can never be ruled out. There is also the issue of hacking, virus and other over-the-internet threats. It is not surprising therefore that Gagner (2005) reiterate the fact that “the reasoning behind this statement is because the public Internet is accessible by anyone leaving us vulnerable to hackers, viruses and denial of service attacks.

” As long as it remains impossible to trust internet users and the threats they may carry, users of VoIP will