VoIP SDK comes to iPhone, Wi-Fi only- no 3G support
Global IP Solutions, which is a major player in the world of IP communication services, has launched an SDK aimed at providing developers the tools to create innovative VoIP applications for the iPhone. As you may have guessed, the new-found VoIP services can only be used over a Wi-Fi connection and not via AT&T’s 3G network as some may have hoped.
According to CNet, developers can utilize Global IP’s platform, dubbed VoiceEngine Mobile, to create real-time VoIP applications. This could include games, social-networking applications, and of course, apps for making calls to regular phone lines using the internet. Global IP claims that its voice engine platforms have been downloaded and used more so than any other similar platform worldwide, and gives credit to the fact that its voice engines enable consumers and businesses to enjoy affordable, high-quality, IP-based communications, under even the most adverse network conditions.
Global IP was a suitable choice in the race to bring VoIP to the iPhone simply because they were the ones that developed the popular "iLBC codec standard," which is currently already implemented in the iPhone itself. iLBC, or internet Low Bit Rate Codec, in it’s simplest form is a royalty-free, narrowband speech codec that is the heart and soul of VoIP applications, streaming audio, archiving, and messaging. By building on what it already knew, Global IP was easily able to create an SDK for iPhone developers to be as creative as possible.
The only thing missing, especially on a device like the iPhone, is the lack of support to use any VoIP app via your 3G connection. I understand why AT&T would want to prohibit this, with long distance service a part of their business, but if AT&T could leverage the technology properly, it might even become beneficial to them. Maybe it will all change in the future, but for now, 3G connections are so spotty in some places anyway, it might remain difficult to get a reliable enough connection to use VoIP apps. Then again, coverage in large metro areas is more than adequate to handle the load. I guess we’ll have to see what the future holds.
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