VoIP & Interconnection: Closer to the Customer

According to the Blueface BCT Report, 35% of businesses now have a business VoIP landline — VoIP is soon-to-be the standard of voice communications.
As traditional phone networks (PSTN / POTS) near the end of their life, the Internet Protocol networks which enable VoIP services are becoming increasingly important as the infrastructural foundation for voice communications.

IP telephony carriers, such as Blueface, operate these networks on which VoIP calls take place. Known as ‘packet switched networks’, calls are broken down into data packets to connect one caller to another using standardised sets of rules (protocols and media codecs).

Interconnection of these networks by IP-telephony carriers has grown in the last decade and will continue to play a key role in VoIP’s development as the global communications standard.

What is Interconnection?

Interconnection means the physical and logical linking of IP telephony carriers’ networks. In this piece, we refer to two or more data centres or call carriers connecting.
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Enviable Availability
Within a regulatory framework, Blueface interconnects with other major carriers to enhance call reliability, call quality and service availability for the customer.
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At a basic level, this means that rather than the data packets which make up calls using the public internet to travel from your phone to the other end of the line, these data packets take ‘shortcuts’ directly from one carrier’s network to the other’s.

Why Interconnection? Making Shortcuts

Global Data Points of Presence

In the past, interconnection deals were made under lock-and-key as carriers would be apprehensive about the perception of connecting with competing networks, even for mutually beneficial traffic exchange.

Today, interconnection opens doors and unlocks opportunities for businesses – even competitors – who work towards an improved customer experience through better network resiliency through the private exchange.

Calls ‘taking shortcuts’ between interconnected networks are less likely to encounter poor quality due to latency caused by the physical distance the data packets have to travel.

Nameer Kazzaz | Blueface & Star2Star Group CTO
“Why wouldn’t we connect with networks that we send and receive data from?”

Networks connect at exchange points (IXPs) – to which Equinix Data Centres are connected – which usually host a plethora of connected, competing carriers.

If one network fails, a service provider can operate normally by defaulting to another connected network. Call latency is lowered by local points-of-presence (PoPs) and compliance is simplified with a physical presence in a region.

Real Time Partnership: Blueface & Equinix

Strategically and interpersonally, all-in-one Equinix Data Centres have been vital for the growth of Blueface and our global customer network.

Blueface’s Network Operations have worked with the same team at Equinix (previously TeleCity Group) for close-to-20 years to provide the highest standard for Unified Communications.

Following the acquisition of TeleCity Group, Equinix retained the services of the talented team of technicians who have a deep knowledge of IP-telephony and Blueface customer needs.

Equinix is always expanding their global footprint and through partnership, Blueface now has data points-of-presence in Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Silicon Valley, and Washington DC.

Equinix offers data-centre interconnection, which involves running a ten gigabit managed wavelength fibre between these sites for stronger connectivity. The United States’ DC and SV data centres are two of the most interconnected in the world and as Equinix expand their connections, so too will Blueface.

Global PoPs have enabled close customer proximity for services with faster compliance, lower latency and through interconnection, strong unrivalled resilience.

Nameer Kazazz | Blueface & Star2Star Group CTO
“Real-time traffic suffers from high latency, customer-closeness solves this problem”

Equinix’ interconnection speciality is what made them the perfect service partner and it’s why we operate close to 98% of our direct services with them.

The Future of Telephony

By 2030, Blueface research predicts a full IP-Migration

Information flow between Equinix and Blueface has always been strong, empowering to refine data services and the end-user application for our customers.

Network infrastructure has improved worldwide but strategic relationships – such as the one between Blueface and Equinix – will develop an unrivalled Hosted VoIP experience.

Interconnection services offered by Equinix will be essential for high bandwidth features such as video conferencing and fully remote sites as they emerge from ancillary to the mainstream.

The Equinix network is ready and growing strong in anticipation for forthcoming demand, while Blueface is waiting to roll out a host of new UC features – including video conferencing – for our customers, partners and white-labels.