VOIP investigation and challenges : case Ethiopian telecommunications

Abstract

VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It makes voice or data transmit over an internet protocol. Sound waves travel across the data network instead of the phone company’s network. Today's communication benefits a great deal from VOIP technology mainly because it reduces phone costs and offers more features for calling, ease of use and, versatility. The benefits are not limited to cost. VOIP has come up with different services which the old system cannot provide. VOIP deployed in countries with good ICT infrastructures and loose regulations. The Ethiopian Telecommunication is the only Internet service provider (ISP) in Ethiopia. Due to many factors, which this thesis is going to investigate, VOIP barely exists in Ethiopia. The aim of this thesis is to introduce and discuss the working principles of VOIP, its challenges in Ethiopia, to study other African and European countries experiences and to suggest alternate solutions that might help users in Ethiopia to enjoy the fruit of VOIP technology. The thesis is not limited to VOIP. It tries to discuss Telephony and Internet fundamentals in general, voice transmission over IP network in particular.