For those who aren’t quite up to speed on their tech terminologies, being told that they’re dealing with a latency issue that requires phone system repair in Detroit, MI might not make much sense. What exactly is a latency issue and how can it be fixed to restore your VOIP phone calls to the level of quality that you expect and deserve from them?
First and foremost, latency issues are simply issues of data speed. If you have a latency issue, it means that the call you’re receiving—and all of the individual data packets that make up that call—are being received slower than they should be or at varying speeds. This can cause jitters in your call quality, dropped calls or even issues hearing or being heard while in the middle of a call.
But, latency is much more in depth than just data packets that are too slow. Take a look at a few different types of latency issues and what they mean for your phone system:
- Propagation delays: Without getting too much into the physics of how data travels and how VOIP phone systems work, a propagation display is simply a delay based on geographical distance. What this means is that there’s going to be millisecond delays of data as the physical distance between you and the person you’re communicating with increases. Generally, this type of latency issue isn’t a problem on its own, since we tend not to notice millisecond delays at all—however, when paired with other latency issues, propagation delays can exacerbate issues.
- Handling delays: Handling delays simply refer to issues caused by your network’s handling of data as it’s received. For example, if you’re on a call that’s being transmitted through the same network as your Internet connection, dozens of other calls that are being made and a digital television stream, your incoming packets might be pushed down in priority as data streams through, thus causing jumps and delays in your conversation. Generally, this issue can be easily fixed by setting data preferences, allowing call data packets through above all others or by purchasing and implementing a specialized VOIP router that automatically places an emphasis on VOIP packets.
- Queuing delays: This issue is most commonly seen in businesses and is a result of incoming packets being scrambled. Picture in your mind a series of unique links in a chain that fit together in a certain way to form the complete chain. Now, picture all of the pieces being taken apart and being put together one at a time… except the order of the pieces has been misaligned and they’re now being connected in the wrong order. This is what happens with queuing delays—data packets are discombobulated as they arrive and aren’t decoded in the right order, causing jumps, shifts and delays in a call.
While all of these latency issues certainly require phone system repair in Detroit, MI, they’re not a death sentence for your business’ communications. Often, a simple solution is required to correct the latency problem and after a quick fix from your telecom contractor, you’ll be ready to place and receive VOIP calls with clarity and ease!