Voice over Wireless LAN (VoWLAN), also Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi
), is the use of a
wireless
Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...
broadband network according to the
IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11 is part of the IEEE 802 set of local area network (LAN) technical standards, and specifies the set of media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) protocols for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) computer commun ...
standards for the purpose of vocal conversation. In essence, it is
Voice over IP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. The terms Internet t ...
(VoIP) over a
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
network. In most cases, the Wi-Fi network and voice components supporting the voice system are privately owned.
VoWLAN can be conducted over any
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
accessible device, including a laptop,
PDA or VoWLAN units which look and function like
DECT
Digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (Digital European cordless telecommunications), usually known by the acronym DECT, is a standard primarily used for creating cordless telephone systems. It originated in Europe, where it is the common ...
and cellphones. Just like for
IP-DECT
IP-DECT is a technology used for on-site wireless communications. It uses the DECT air interface for reliable wireless voice and data communication between handsets and base stations and the well established VoIP technology for the corded voice com ...
, the VoWLAN's main advantages to consumers are cheaper local and international calls, free calls to other VoWLAN units and a simplified integrated billing of both phone and
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privat ...
s.
Although VoWLAN and
3G have certain feature similarities, VoWLAN is different in the sense that it uses a wireless internet network (typically
802.11
IEEE 802.11 is part of the IEEE 802 set of local area network (LAN) technical standards, and specifies the set of media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) protocols for implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) computer com ...
) rather than a
cellular network. Both VoWLAN and 3G are used in different ways, although with a
femtocell
In telecommunications, a femtocell is a small, low-power cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business. A broader term which is more widespread in the industry is '' small cell'', with ''femtocell'' as a subset. It ...
the two can deliver similar service to users and can be considered alternatives.
Applications
For a single location organisation it enables use of existing Wi-Fi network for low (or no) cost of use VoIP (hence VoWLAN) communication in a similar manner to
land mobile radio system or
walkie-talkie
A walkie-talkie, more formally known as a handheld transceiver (HT), is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, ...
systems with push to talk and emergency broadcast channels. They are also used across multiple locations for mobile workers such as delivery drivers, these workers need to take advantage of 3G type services whereby a cellular company provide data access between the handheld device and the companies back-end network.
Benefits
A voice over WLAN system offers several benefits to organizations, such as hospitals and warehouses. Such advantages include increased mobility and cost savings. For instance, nurses and doctors within a hospital can maintain voice communications at any time at less cost, compared to cellular service.
Types
#as an extension to cellular network using
Generic Access Network
Generic Access Network (GAN) is a protocol that extends mobile voice, data and multimedia (IP Multimedia Subsystem/Session Initiation Protocol (IMS/SIP)) applications over IP networks. Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) is the commercial name used by m ...
or
Unlicensed Mobile Access (the equivalent but more commercial term).
#as a local network independent of cellular company.
Design considerations
A Wi-Fi network that supports voice telephony must be carefully designed in a way that maximizes performance and is able to support the applicable call density.
A voice network includes call gateways in addition to the Wi-Fi access points. The gateways provide call handling among wireless IP phones and connections to traditional telephone systems. The Wi-Fi network supporting voice applications must provide much stronger signal coverage than what's needed for most data-only applications. In addition, the Wi-Fi network must provide seamless roaming between access points.
Commercial service
One of the attractions of VoWLAN is that it uses widely available Wi-Fi and as such can be used without involving a service provider (e.g. running a Skype client on a laptop connected to the internet over Wi-Fi). However, there are network operators who use this technology as part of their service offer, typically using
Unlicensed Mobile Access to deliver voice service at home. Example's include T-Mobile @Home in USA, or Orange's UNIK service in France.
Alternatives
As noted above, in many contexts a
femtocell
In telecommunications, a femtocell is a small, low-power cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business. A broader term which is more widespread in the industry is '' small cell'', with ''femtocell'' as a subset. It ...
, using cellular technology to connect to standard terminals, can be considered an alternative to VoWLAN.
See also
*
Local area network
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, university campus or office building. By contrast, a wide area network (WAN) not only covers a larger ...
*
Mobile VoIP
Mobile VoIP or simply mVoIP is an extension of mobility to a voice over IP network. Two types of communication are generally supported: cordless telephones using DECT or PCS protocols for short range or campus communications where all base stati ...
*
Voice over LTE
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is an LTE high-speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables. VoLTE has up to three times more voice and data capacity than older 3G ...
References
{{reflist
Wireless networking
Voice over IP