INTERNET PHONE: THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY
Dialing anywhere in the world at local rates is no figment of imagination. Most people who use the internet are connected via a local service provider and pay only local phone call charges. But the telecommunication industry is not yet sure of what to make of this idea. They do not take it seriously, because it will reduce a large slice of their revenue. The government also faces a similar problem. Cut price and internet calls upset the delicately balanced tariff system that shares out the cost of international calls between countries. The not fully developed internet phone also face a lot of technical complexities. The audio quality is very poor. The compression system makes it sound muffled. Today’s successful trails of internet phone have left the telephone companies with a problem. It could either be a threat to the existing telecommunication systems all around the world or an opportunity in the fast developing scientific world. Moreover, the internet backbone needs huge investment.