The use of Voice over IP (VoIP) for both homes and businesses has become ubiquitous in recent years. With the old PSTN networks being retired in many countries, the use of a fully digital IP-based telephony system is now normal for both homes and businesses.

With the rise of homeworking that has accelerated since the Covid 19 pandemic, it is essential that businesses have a robust telephony system to keep a geographically diverse workforce connected. When a business has a well-designed system, most consumers contacting them would be unaware that their call is being transferred to multiple sites, with staff often answering calls using a VoIP app on their personal mobile device.

It is also essential that public telecommunications providers are delivering an effective service as they switch their consumers from the PSTN to a VoIP-based network. For their customers, a small minority of whom may still not have a broadband connection, the switch to a VoIP service will need to be painless even if it requires them to update some of the equipment in their homes.

PTT’s updated Voice over IP course is essential training for all those designing and maintaining private and public modern telephony networks. This comprehensive and up-to-date course describes the components, protocols and operation of telephony systems that operate over Internet Protocol (IP) networks with emphasis on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

Services such as ultra high definition video streaming, cloud computing, and video gaming along with expectations for new services such as virtual reality are driving the requirements for ever higher data transfer rates for broadband connections.

The upload speeds provided by conventional broadband services are lower than that achievable downstream. But consumers and businesses are increasingly both content consumers and creators and so require equally high speeds in both directions.

Many broadband providers are meeting this challenge by adopting a newer generation of passive optical network (PON) for their FTTH services.

AT&T have recently announced that they have achieved symmetrical speeds of 20 Gigabits per second (Gbit/s) with a PON based on the recently formulated 25GS-PON standard. The two and a half times increase in network capacity compared with a network based on the earlier XGS-PON standard is achievable using existing installed optical fibre.

PTT’s online course “Next generation access networks” explains the role of the components, and the principles of operation, of passive optical networks and compares the various generations.

Customers in the UK who are struggling to pay their broadband and mobile bills are to get help under a recent agreement between the UK government and telecoms providers.
The help is aimed at vulnerable customers who are most affected by the cost of living crisis. Measures include allowing them to switch to cheaper tariffs without penalty and reviewing some price plans to see if they can be made more affordable.
Reducing prices for customers will put pressure on operators to reduce their own costs. One way of achieving this is to review how they address the digital skills gap for new and existing staff.

Communications providers are already struggling to recruit new staff as well as upskilling existing employees so they have the required knowledge in an ever-evolving industry. When additional, increasing cost pressures are factored in, sticking to a classroom-only model of training is no longer sensible. The associated costs of travel for learners as well as increasing costs of providing classroom space and trainer time therefore require a balanced, blended learning approach.

PTT has decades of experience in providing digital learning solutions to the telecommunications industry. With a blended learning approach, trainees can gain the required knowledge through self-paced e-learning courses. This knowledge can then be transferred into the relevant skills through on-the-job training or shorter classroom workshops. PTT works with apprenticeship providers to provide the latest digital apprenticeships, with our e-learning courses helping hundreds of new entrants into the industry every year. PTT can also work with businesses to create tailored learning solutions to meet their exact skills requirements.

Contact PTT today to see how our learning solutions can help address the digital skills gap in a proven, cost effective way.