Pondering whether to take the plunge into Internet telephony? Do you have trouble getting your head around all the associated terms? Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is being tipped as the technology that will revolutionize the telecoms industry. Internet telephony digitises the sound of a human voice so that it can be routed through the Internet. You can now make VoIP calls that cost a fraction of calls made through a standard line. It is revolutionizing the way that people keep in contact.

However, as often happens with new technologies, it is occasionally hard to make sense of what all the new confusing words mean. As an answer to this this article will try and explain the technical terms. So let’s get started on deciphering some of the jargon

? Bit rate: This is the speed at which data moves across the Internet. The term can also be used as a measure of the speed of an Internet connection which is often quantified in kilobits or megabits per second.

? Cable modem: This is a piece of equipment that is necessary in order to connect a PC or network to the Internet via a cable company’s service

? IP: This stands for Internet Protocol It is the standard that underpins all services on the Internet.

? Router: This is networking hardware device that “steers” data across a network or across the Internet. A router is needed to share an Internet connection between multiple devices

? Switch: A piece of equipment that a phone company can use to connect calls between subscribers It is also used by businesses to connect their internal extensions as well as outside lines which are also known as private branch exchange (PBX)

Our aim is by explaining and simplifying some of the terminology that surrounds the VoIP services this article should help clarify what VoIP is about and the elements that are involved. Find the service that is right for you. Join the VoIP revolution and start enjoying cheap calls and other cool services!