Ireland | VoIP Telephony
VoIP service providers | VoIP phone shops | VoIP Equipment
What is VoIP?
VoIP is a technique which allows voice and fax calls to be
transported over an IP platform such as the internet, making more
efficient use of network resources which in turn can lead to lower or
zero call charges for the user.
VoIP Phones, ATAs and softphones
Softphones
A softphone is an (often free) downloadable software package that
uses your computer's sound system to create a VoIP phone. The sound
quality of softphones is usually inferior to that of "hardphones" - ie
ATAs and dedicated VoIP phones.
ATAs - Analog Telephone Adapters
The ATA is a small adapter box with at least two connector sockets.
One is for the network connection (RJ45) that connects it to the internet and
the second is a
regular analog PSTN phone jack (RJ11) to plug in a regular (analog)
phone to the device. While the ATA is usually
cheaper than a proper VoIP phone it is only a mediocre solution in terms
of features and sound quality.
VoIP phones
A VoIP phone plugs directly into an Ethernet (RJ45) connection (e.g. a spare
connector on your home internet router or switch) and with a few simple
settings can be up and running as an additional phone line, using the
internet.
VoIP phones generally offer the best sound quality and provide similar
convenience features to a good mobile phone.
Snom 360
Siemens S35 - The Gigaset S35 WLAN (Wi-fi) phone (photo)
with its excellent speech and sound quality makes broadband telephone
calls and internet messaging a convenient reality, whether from home or
from a wireless hotspot while on the move. Launch at
CeBit 2005.
Cisco IP Phone brochure (pdf)
Cisco VoIP phones
Avaya Ireland
Siemens
optiPoint 400 IP phone (H.323) (pdf)
Siemens
SL75 WiFi phone - a phone you can take with you anywhere there is
WiFi coverage - home, office, hotel, shopping mall, street,
motorway-rest, etc. Calls can be diverted to voicemail
when out of WLAN coverage. Make and receive calls at
landline or VoIP rates (sometimes free of charge!) . Stores
multiple WLAN set-ups. Send and receive e-mails.
Integrated digital camera. All the features of a mobile phone
without the mobile phone bill at the end of the month. €299,
available November 2005.
Nokia multi-mode VoIP + cellular phones (new)
(2005.10.12) Nokia announced three combined VoIP/cellphone
devices (E60, E61 and E70). These phones can connect over a
WiFi wireless LAN in the office, home or an external WiFi zone on the
street, in a hotel, at an airport, etc
(providing free calls!) and automatically resorting to the regular cellular network (GSM2 and 3)
at other locations. (more...)
Telephone numbering and VoIP in Ireland
While the 076 NDC has been specifically allocated to VoIP services in
Ireland, geographic and other numbers can also be used with VoIP.
The 076 code is followed by a 7 digit subscriber number. Blocks of
subscriber numbers have been allocated to service providers by
ComReg, details of which can be found
in their website under "numbering". VoIP numbers
in the 076 6nn nnnn are charged at the local call rate.
Draft regulatory directions on call charges from the PSTN/ISDN to the
VoIP 076 numbering space
ComReg 05.12 (pdf) [2005.02.17].
Aeon
BlueFace*
Broadtalk
Smart076 - free
076 number, voicemail, SIP, no monthly subscription
Skytel Networks
ESATBT
Finerea
Access Telecom
SmartTelecom
Talk Telecom
Tele2
Colt Telecom
Wireless Projects
Eircom
MCI
VoIP Ireland
Red Squared (VoIP services
for business)
*Provides access to Irish non-geographic phone numbers (eg 1800,
1850, 1890 etc) from anywhere.
Skype provides a global VoIP service for using a
free downloadable softphone or a hardware devices such as the
Siemens Gigaset M34 USB.
The client software works on PCs (Windows 2000, XP and Linux), Mac OS
X and on Windows Pocket PCs.
Calls to other Skype users are
free. Skypeout allows one to call virtually any phone number
in the world using a prepaid system - further details and the required
free software is downloadable from
skype.com SkypeIn allows
subscribers to receive incoming calls from the regular (switched)
telephone network. Skype has also added a voicemail service, which
allows people to leave a message when a Skype user is offline.
vSkype allows video calling and
conferencing - all you need is the free software and a webcam!
IPdrum, expected to be
available available from August 2005 will allow one to use Skype on
one's cellphone.
VoIP PABXs
Snom VoIP Box
Asterisk (Open source Linux
software PABX, incorporating voicemail, supporting SIP and H.323)
Aastra Enterprise IP (Low cost,
self installable, automatically self-configuring VoIP PABX system, for 2
to 200 extensions which can use an existing home or office LAN).
Other links:
VoIP Info.org
VoIP Magazine
Public WiFi coverage in Ireland
Ireland's first VoIP phone shop
ipphoneireland.com
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