Recognizing That Voice Is Just Data (Or How Google Voice Could Be Disruptive)
from the voice-is-data-too dept
Karl Bode, over at Broadband Reports, wrote up a great article a little while back about why Google Voice was more disruptive than anyone (especially the telcos) were willing to give it credit for being. The key underlying point: voice is just a form of data. Once you realize that, you realize that no one needs to be tied to any telco's own dialing system. Your mobile phone service provider really could just be a dumb pipe.For years, I've always felt that the calls for "triple play" or "quadruple play" was incredibly misleading. All of the different "plays" (voice, video, data) were actually all just data. And when things are all just data, and its on an open network, then anyone can provide the services on top of that data. The telcos recognize this, somewhat -- which is why they've tried to block out others from offering certain telco services (it's why Google Voice was blocked on the iPhone), but it could be really game changing. Imagine if you could just buy a mobile phone that had no calling plan at all -- but it was all in the software? You could even use different dialers (with different numbers?) depending on what made the most sense or was cheapest.
The telcos hate thinking of themselves as dumb pipes, but there's something to be said for focusing on the pipes and making them as strong as possible, while letting everyone else innovate at the service level, and just selling good data plans. The more others innovate, the more valuable those data connections become.
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Filed Under: data, disruptive, google voice, voice
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Even "dumb pipes" is too much credit
The data packets that travel to/from your home to the businesses you want to interact with are more like cars than water. They use traffic signals (routers) along the way to help them get to the right place, faster and more efficiently. We accept roads (last mile) and highways (national backbone) as public funded services, primarily because there aren't better alternatives (trains and trolleys were gutted by the automobile lobbys in the areas they served, and buses are just bigger autos). Allowing private entities to own the roads would result in endless toll stops, and they would end up almost useless.
The current private-owned Internet should be thought of in the same way: mired in endless toll roads.
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Re: Even "dumb pipes" is too much credit
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Re: Re: Even "dumb pipes" is too much credit
I think there's a lot of misunderstanding about what the service does/does not do at this point that could be alleviated by Google opening the beta to everybody.
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Re: Re: Re: Even "dumb pipes" is too much credit
You can also link GV to a GizmoProject SIP account (hopefully more SIP services in the future) to avoid the POTS system entirely on your end. If the destination of the call also has VoIP, you can use Google as a tool to circumvent POTS entirely, while still using the old number system instead of SIP addresses. GizmoProject and Skype charge for "call-in" numbers, and Google eats the cost to give you a free GV call-in number (presumably in return for advertising exposure on their web interfaces).
Personally I prefer SIP addresses when available -- they look just like email adresses name@domain.ext, which is much easier to remember than a 10-15 number string. Potentially once SIP services are advanced enough, your voice/video SIP, IM, Wave, and email accounts can all be the same address. They can also have aliases and numerical "shortcuts", so are much more flexible than old POTS numbers.
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The Internet
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Amen!
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Mobile airtime bidding
Really interesting concept that is closer to how telecoms should be used (as base commodities), but that has the telcos crapping themselves fearing the lost (giant) margins on voice plans.
http://blog.usweb.com/archives/google-patent-app-wants-mobile-companies-to-bid-on-your-ser vice/
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It's sort of like claiming that infinite distribution makes music free, without backing up a couple of steps to see the whole process and realizing that distribution is only one part of the deal.
Phones in particular are a worldwide system with rules and agreements for things to make them work out. country codes, area codes, etc are all agreed upon internationally, so that you can sit in a coffee bar in south Florida and direct dial your relatives in Bangladesh. The data is just what moves, it's the rules of the road that make it function.
It's the basic difference between Skype and a real phone one is anti-rules free form and lacking in structure, and the real phones have structure and security. I know which one I want when it comes time to dial 911.
The data bits that move aren't the keys. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you understand why there are differences in the way these things operate.
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Re:
The "keys" you're thinking of are just QoS policies, which are expressly permitted in current Net Neutrality legislation, but must be transparent (read: in the fine print at sign-up time) to the consumer.
I like QoS rules that make "phone" calls more important than video downloads more than anyone -- I just think those QoS policies should be set by the consumer, not the monopolistic telco. Net Neutrality makes that the case, and without Net Neutrality rules you lose all consumer controls over QoS policy, so they can decide their partner video downloads are more important than your 911 VoIP call.
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Sorry, you missed the point, and in fact, that statement shows you really didn't pay attention (but I won't call you an idiot for it).
Basically, it doesn't matter if it is analog, digital, or smoke signals. That isn't the important part of the deal. the "digitalness" of something is a very myopic view of the full extend of the system in place. Telephones are exceptionally useful and reliable not because of digital versus analog or the color of the handset, but rather a global rule set that makes it possible for people in different countries to interact with each other without issues, in a reliable and standardized manner.
It isn't the data that matters, it's the rules of the road and the overall system of telephones that matter. It's why Skype tends to feel like a third world crank phone at times, and why you can use your cell phone to call anyone in the world clearly and easily.
Net neutrality in the end won't change anything. You can set your QoS to whatever you like, but when all the kids in the neighborhood are downloading movies and playing games, the network congestion will drop your call anyway. I know at least that my landline (and likely my cell phone) will work without issues, no downloaders to screw up the network.
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Re: Re: Re:
Everything I've read from you makes sense except this comment. Are you forgetting the impending, tiered approach to broadband pricing that penalizes certain levels of use and even perhaps the subjective pricing of traffic based on content?
Funny thing is, to oppose net neutrality is to be a proponent of regulation. It's just that you support corporate and not government regulation. In this case the government plans to disallow discretionary based, corporate regulation of Internet traffic. Isn't that a good thing?
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Re: Re: Re:
And how is TCP/IP different from this? You know, the international standard outlined in several RFCs.
Instead of my telephone number being +61 8 1234 5678 it could now be 192.168.1.10:5000.
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You seem pretty smart, so tell me how can that be routed? Seriously.
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Australia.
I was thinking about coming down there next month but you guys kicked out my boy Sol Trujillo a few months ago.
Tell you what, bring us back The Chasers in one form or another. Then we can talk. The escapade with Barney in front of Dick Cheney's house was classic, but probably, from a political standpoint, killed you guys. We love that kind of stuff.
We need more Bawlsy Aussies here. But from a political timeframe, they "just needed to stay in Australia."
Bring it back, man, and we'll talk.
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Re:
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Re:
Same with the internet. I'm not sure I understand your point.
Skype is not "anti-rules," and in fact the IETF (the "rules-making" body of the internet) is developing rules for voip as well.
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Re: In The Box
Why, because the plug in key contains an assigned phone number, (which is usually North American) and if this key is plugged in China it becomes a "local" number when called from NA just like with a cell phone. (Think Global, because this makes Area Codes, and Country Codes or any kind of geographical identifier obsolete.)
Carry this further and include other features and services either as firmware or hardware in the key or end device, then what is in between becomes a "Dumb Pipe". And it is things like Google Search that makes it intelligent, because after all there has to be something (a search) that finds a specific key (number) and where it is located does not really matter. The Google Voice is just leveraging on this personal anywhere phone number thing.
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First, you would still have to pay a 'dumb pipe' provider. Then it sounds like you also want to pay multiple VoIP providers (to use the one that suits you best at any given time). How is that different than paying for the pipe and VoIP/phone service from the same provider? The only difference is a choice in who gets paid for the phone part.
All you are talking about here is VoIP over cellular networks (or something that you envision that sounds very much like cellular service). AT&T decided to stop limiting VoIP over 3G on the iPhone on October 6. Nothing new to see here.
The biggest issues with VoIP over radio networks are loss, delay and jitter. Most VoIP encoders are lossy, when you put that on top of a lossy network the level of service becomes marginal. The losses can be masked in most cases (or eliminated if extra bandwidth is used for redundant data or forward error correction). But any delay will always be there, jitter is also masked with buffers (more delay). Even small amounts of delay will make conversations difficult where one side has to wait to hear a response from the other side. Most folks notice when the round trip time exceeds 200ms, most folks are annoyed when the round trip time exceeds 400ms. That kind of experience may be acceptable to some, especially if the VoIP service is free. But folks that are paying will not tolerate it - folks trying to conduct business will not tolerate it. The biggest barrier to VoIP over radio networks is the networks themselves. VoIP over radio networks will not take off on a large scale until the networks improve.
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Voice as Data
The real issue then, and still is, who owns the connection to the customer? In land lines, that was who owned the last mile. In wireless today, its who is supplying signal. These are the guys who currently get to print the bills and act as a gateway for what the subscriber gets to see on their branded handset. These current guys want to make sure that nobody upsets that lucrative arrangement.
iPhone had the chance to disrupt this arrangement, but they are conveniently supported by ATT (Evil Empire). Google Voice is looking to jump the queue so to speak, and that is what has all of the other "real-telcos" nervous.
With regard to this 'rules of the road' discussion and why telcos are special, aren't you glad that we don't require email companies to deliver email across the net? Voice really is just one more data application upon the net, albeit one with more special needs and rules than most. Google is the first outsider with enough clout to make that argument believable.
Get ready for the revolution. It will be a bit bumpy, but you're gonna like it.
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Re: Voice as Data
Actually not. Google Voice is 100% dependant on every other last mile / last connection provider, without them Google Voice is a nice idea, nothing more. They are entirely dependant on following the rules of the road for those services, at the risk of losing access to them.
Google Voice is an application similar in positioning as voice mail or other. It is nothing without the existing well established, well formed, and exceptionally reliable network that supports it. It doesn't matter if the data moving is digital, analog, or whatever - it's still the same thing. Without a phone to send the calls to, Google Voice is, well, voiceless!
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Re: Re: Voice as Data
It is just another American Idiosyncrasy that road infrastructure is public but phone and communications are not. AND they don't see this as a National Security issue. Should it be a public service or a Profit Center. NAH, Corporate screw over the public is that not the American way?
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StarPound Technologies...
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Are you kidding? You don't get it? Sigh.
BUT, that has NOTHING to do with what Google Voice is. Google Voice is a 'call control' app and has nothing to do with call transport. It works just as well with calls that are carried over the old TDM networks. Google Voice strips away some of the call control revenue from the telcos, but it has nothing to do with VoIP.
Mike, if you don't understand how Google Voice works, you really shouldn't blog about it. If you want a Google Voice + Telecom 101 lesson, let me know.
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This, Mike, is technically bullshit.
In order to work reliably as you used to, you can't just send all your calls up to Skype (or another VoIP) switchboard and back.
To those wanna-be's who call "but QoS" all over - just shut up, you have no idea what the hell are you talking about. In order for QoS to work all over routing path, you need to set it up in advance. You need all upstream providers to configure their routers is curtain way, which is complicated both from technical and organizational side.
Moreover, the whole such setup is stupid (and expansive as a result). Why send voice calls as data to Skype and back, when you (cellular provider) can just route it locally as, well, voice?!
And we not yet talked about quality and reliability. Yes, IP network has rerouting capability, but they are quite useless in conjunction with QoS. And it's trivial to make DoS attacks on internet routers than on cell towers. In order to efficiently DoS cell network you will need some quite specialized equipment, and be physically close to the target. Result is that it's trivial to locate source of damage and call guys in uniforms.
On unrelated notice - Google Voice is not more disruptive than Skype or any other VoIP provider out there. They don't even offer international service.
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data
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You mentioned a while back that you had CallVantage, and SBC killed it after the merger.
What needs to be understood on a grandular level is that these folks sell pipes, empty pipes, but pipes nonetheless, and much of this infrastructure was paid for in the late 1990s with taxpayer dollars. Prior to this, the internet existed as a series of T1 lines across the country. With taxpayer dollars, we had an explosion of growth with UUNet, MCI, and Global Crossing. Unlike other companies, they don't have to plan for what they put through the pipes, just make sure the pipes stay flowing. Take home utilities such as water or natural gas as an example.
Within these other utilities, when consumption increase, or city plans include dramatic growth, typically budgets for planning has to comparatively increase to meet the needs of it's customers.
It also bears reminding that telecom companies are UTILITY companies. How many Central Offices have seen customer growth, yet still lack the necessary budget to operate?
Is it because even though they are codified as a utility with the IRS, yet internally, they don't see themselves or act as a utility?
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Please do more research before posting.
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Re: Please do more research before posting.
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The bottom line gentlemen is that it doesn't matter if voice is data, what matters is who owns the pipe. Period. Doesn't matter if tax payer dollars were used to augment the cost of the pipe, tax payer dollars are used a lot to "stimulate". The different is that 20 years ago it was considered an investment in infrastructure, now it's a end-around the free-market.
This is purely against the constitution by the way. We have a constitution that guarantees "free contract". There is a difference between government regulation and corporate regulation. One has a constitutional right, the other not so much.
Net Neutrality is simply another of a string of attempts of this government to seize control of yet more of our infrastructure and take over this country.
If you are a socialist or communist and this is how you believe...I suggest you move. Our constitution does not support or allow for your ideology. It protects property ownership. If you are not a socialist or a communist and you really believe that you have the right to own property and enter into free contract under your own responsibilities and merit...then I suggest that you read up on this topic.
Remember, once the government takes over the internet, and after they have taken over health care, and businesses...then the next logical step (look into Stalin's Russia) they will then seize your property...your home, your land, and your money.
He who owns it...gets to make the decisions. Remember the "net" does not belong to you...or the federal government. And if you think it should...then look at which country's tech and business sector really invented it and took it to this level. Do you think socialist France, Russia, China or Venezuela could have? I think not.
And as far as the "roads" comment goes...Eisenhower copied the German "interstate" system for the same reasons the Germans had it...to freely move military assets throughout a country's interior. You using the roads now...that's like you drinking tang or using velcro...it was never designed for you, so don't use it as an analogy for your socialist validation...its disingenuous.
History dear fellow...learn your history before you try to argue for things that have already failed in 100% of the attempts.
cl
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Re: Pipes
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One Telco who "gets it"
In the network of the future:
- Voice will simply be another data object – and will be carrier, network, device and protocol agnostic
- Legacy carrier networks will be merged with open networks / the internet
- Innovation will be developer driven, not constrained by existing carrier / telco business models
Ribbit was created to accelerate this future.
The Ribbit platform allows any developer to integrate voice, messaging, and rich communications into any application, on Web experience. — no expensive capital outlays or telco domain knowledge required.
If you are a developer looking to to add voice and rich communications to your RIAs, join us at Spawn 11/5.
Live event registration closes 10/28:
Webcast registration closes 11/3: http://developer.ribbit.com/blog/spawn-webcast/
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