Voice peering is a process that is utilized today to route audio call signals from one point of service to another, using the Internet as the means of transmission. Sometimes referred to as VoIP peering, the routing of the signal bypasses the traditional PSTN, or Public Switching Telephone Network. The end result is a signal that is considered to have a high level of sound quality without the generation of a high cost to the originator of the call.
The general fabric of a voice peering process can occur in one of two ways. First, the signal is routed through a private network. Any service providers who are connected to the private network can complete the connection with any other providers who are also connected with the network, essentially creating what could be referred to as an “on to on” connection via the network. This is known as a Layer 2 process in voice peering fabric or VPF.
A second means of initiating voice peering involves the use of an open network. In this scenario, there is one central service provider that handles the routing at both the point of origin and the point of termination. The signal does not jump from one carrier to another. This approach is known as a Layer 5 process.
There are two benefits of voice peering. First, there is the cost factor. Use of voice peering eliminates the need to incur long distance charges when initiating an audio call outside the local calling area. This means people who live in different parts of the world can communicate freely without worries of running up a large phone bill.
Second, the sound clarity on a connection made via voice peering is usually of very high quality. This is not always true with other platforms of audio calls, especially when the signal is routed through a number of switches operated by different carriers. With voice peering, the quality of the call is often so high that the participants have a sense of calling across town rather than across the country or to an international location.