What Is Internet Bandwidth?
Before we get into how bandwidth and VoIP phones relate to each other, it’s essential to understand what bandwidth is, what it isn’t, and what its limitations are.
Basics of Internet Bandwidth
Essentially, bandwidth, as it relates to internet connections, is the capacity of an internet connection to move a given amount of information/data per unit of time (usually seconds). When it comes to internet connections, this capacity is often expressed as “megabits per second” or Mbps or Mb/s. Bandwidth is primarily the data transfer rate an internet connection can support. For example, an internet connection with a bandwidth of 15 Mbps means that an internet connection can move 15 million bits of data per second. It’s crucial to determine the amount of bandwidth your internet connection can support before you set up VoIP calling because VoIP calling relies on internet connections to place phone calls. To determine your internet connection’s bandwidth, use an internet speed test site.
Bandwidth Misconceptions
One of the biggest misconceptions about internet bandwidth is the idea that whatever the stated amount of bandwidth your internet connection should have is also the exact data transfer rate you can expect when using your internet connection. In most cases, your internet connection will not perform data transfers at the bandwidth level stated by your ISP. Which means, just because your provider said your connection should be able to transfer data at a rate of 60 Mbps doesn’t mean it actually will during your everyday usage of it. Connections like Wi-Fi and Ethernet have to manage other network features (such as packet headers and control messages) that also consume bandwidth in addition to the files and data you were trying to transfer (like a VoIP phone call or a movie). This additional bandwidth consumption can significantly reduce the amount of actual bandwidth available to you, which can lead to your bandwidth and connection speeds reduced by up to 50% of what it was supposed to be. Another misconception about bandwidth is the total available amount of bandwidth for each download request or person using a given internet connection. The different people or downloads that need to consume bandwidth share the stated level of bandwidth for your internet connection to do things like download files or make VoIP calls. The stated level of bandwidth is the total amount of possible bandwidth for a given household’s internet connection. The people and download requests using your internet connection will divide your internet connection’s bandwidth (the set data transfer rate that you paid for). Each person or download request will only get a portion of the total amount of possible bandwidth. The more people or download requests using your connection, the slower your overall connection will be. So, when determining your bandwidth and how much of it you’ll need for things like VoIP, you’ll want to test your internet speed properly because a higher bandwidth won’t necessarily be enough if your bandwidth consumption still exceeds it.
Limitations of Bandwidth
There are several limitations with bandwidth, the most significant being bandwidth throttling, when your internet connection’s bandwidth is deliberately slowed down, usually by your internet service provider (ISP). An ISP might engage in bandwidth throttling to reduce network congestion, encourage customers to upgrade, or to throttle bandwidth used for a certain kind of online activity or website. Sometimes, throttling enforces bandwidth caps (a bandwidth usage limit) built-in to paid internet service plans. Other, lesser-known limitations associated with bandwidth include too many browser add-ons and extensions that consume bandwidth, and excess bandwidth consumption due to malware infections. These limitations can cause your internet speed to slow down because they consume too much bandwidth.
VoIP Phones and Bandwidth
VoIP calling tends to be a heavy consumer of bandwidth because it requires more bandwidth to transfer voice data than, say, simple text. If you want decent or high-quality voice calls, you’ll need to invest in an internet connection that can support faster connection speeds and higher bandwidth. When it comes to setting up VoIP calling, the best kind of internet connection to use is a broadband connection. Broadband can supply the minimum bandwidth required to support good quality VoIP phone calls.
VoIP Phone Bandwidth Requirements
In addition to using a broadband internet connection to facilitate your VoIP calls, it’s also recommended your bandwidth is at least around 512 kbps (kilobits per second), which works out to 0.512 Mbps. A basic broadband connection should be able to provide that much bandwidth since many broadband providers offer a minimum of 512 kbps with their service.
