VoIP call quality falls - Survey

VoIP call quality has taken a nosedive over the last 18 months, with
nearly 20 percent of VoIP callers experiencing unacceptable voice
quality, according to a survey done by Brix Networks.
The results come from Brix Networks' TestYourVoIP.com site, a free
VoIP quality-testing portal. Brix claims that nearly one million VoIP
phone tests have been conducted at the site since its March, 2004
launch.

Brix claims that from late 2004 through mid-2006, the tests done at the
site have shown a consistent decrease in overall voice quality as
calculated via the Mean Opinion Score (MOS). MOS is an a measurement of
conversational voice quality that rates calls on a scale from one (bad)
to five (excellent). Test calls with a MOS of 3.6 or better are usually
regarded as being satisfactory, and those below it as unsatisfactory.
Only 81 percent of VoIP calls tested on the site were rated at 3.6 or
better, the company says.

How accurate are the results? Without a third party to analyze them,
it's difficult to know. Brix, though, sells IP and VoIP testing
solutions, and the company does have a vested interest in touting any
results that show poor VoIP quality. On the other hand, anyone who has
made a VoIP call knows only too well the sometimes erratic nature of
call quality.
- By Networking Pipeline Staff

For Further Information : www.knowingabout.com/voip