Bandwidth refers to the data transmission rate of your internet subscription. The amount of bandwidth required for VoIP phone systems is often a concern of businesses that use or are considering VoIP technology. VoIP phone systems rely on your Internet connection to route calls.
So, there are several things you should know about configuring your Internet network to achieve the highest possible call quality:
VoIP Bandwidth Calculation
The first step is to understand how VoIP consumes bandwidth and how much bandwidth you will need for your system. First, you need to figure out how many concurrent calls your company’s VoIP will make. Typically, you will need between 85 and 100 Kbps per concurrent VoIP call. If you are looking for a reliable VoIP service and seamless communications, you can also consider Hawaiian Telcom as an option.
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Another factor influencing call quality is the codec used by your provider. A codec is a software that converts speech signals into digital data that may be transferred over the internet during your VoIP session. The sample rates of various codecs vary.
Codec Details
- G.729
- Bitrate per second: 8 Kbps
- Average bandwidth required: 24 Kbps
- Description: Works well with low bandwidth, uses an extreme compression algorithm
- G.711
- Bitrate per second: 64 Kbps
- Average bandwidth required: 80Kbps
- Description: Reduces bandwidth consumption through lossless compression, also capable of faxing
- G.722
- Bitrate per second: 48-64 Kbps
- Average bandwidth required: 80 Kbps
- Description: High quality, but bandwidth-intensive
- G.726
- Bitrate per second: 16-40 Kbps
- Average bandwidth required: 56Kbps
- Description: For use in international trunks
- G.728
- Bitrate per second: 16 Kbps
- Average bandwidth required: 32 Kbps
- Description: Provides toll-quality voice over lower bandwidths
Troubleshooting VoIP Bandwidth Issues
There are various options available to troubleshoot your VoIP bandwidth issues..
- Investigate latency: For VoIP systems, “acceptable” or “normal” latency is between 150-300 milliseconds. Anything beyond this window is deemed “too much” and should be investigated.
- Modify QoS Settings: Quality of Service (QoS) settings are embedded into Internet-connected devices via their routers. This enables you to “prioritize” bandwidth for some devices over others based on what you use on a daily basis. For VoIP, you should adjust these settings if you use your phone system often.
- Increase your bandwidth: Although it will cost more, investing in extra bandwidth is the single best approach to gain the bandwidth required for VoIP. You can confirm your bandwidth with your Internet service provider or use online tools to check your internet speed.
- Choose the right codecs: VoIP uses codecs to compress and decompress data. Each codec requires a different amount of bandwidth. Your VoIP service probably uses codecs that require a lot of bandwidth. Check with your provider about the codecs they use.
