Branches Of The Military Showing Signs Of Choosing VoIP

Branches Of The Military Showing Signs Of Choosing VoIP

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The Army is providing telephone switches with built-in VoIP capability and implementing VoIP data networks in preparation for a mass migration to Voice over Internet Protocol. This will streamline communications on and between Army bases worldwide.

Army posts, camps and stations worldwide are being readied for the switch, with backbone campus infrastructure and data networks being installed. Over the past few years, the preparation for migration has been a priority, and along with switches and data networks, a number of VoIP handsets have been distributed. The number is limited, as all telephone handsets must “meet and comply with DoD standards for interoperability and Information Assurance.”

Service will be delivered by a combination of the telephone switches with built-in VoIP gateway capability. The data networks are able to carry VoIP across the bases, but will instead be converted to TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) prior to exiting the base network since internet capability is not yet in place to carry VoIP between bases.

The advantage of VoIP for military use is its dependability; the armed forces require 99.999% availability, which can be accomplished in both legacy telephony and VoIP applications by integrating redundant power in the form of generator or better backups.

The Army plans to integrate still more VoIP communication but will also depend heavily on TDM (a service not used much by private companies or individuals since the rise of VoIP). VoIP is faster, cheaper for high use applications, and will ultimately be more efficient at handling Army transmissions and communication in a safer and more secure way. The pilot program combines VoIP and TDM for what will be the most effective mixed vendor solution currently in operation.

The military’s interest in VoIP and unified communications (UC) only underlines federal interest in the future of VoIP as a major player in the communications industry. A centrally managed Unified Communications system can manage multiple Army bases, and could be a way to provide equally efficient service for all levels of users once TDM becomes too outdated to justify support. At that time the migration to VoIP will probably be completed.

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