High-speed broadband with low-quality calls

Even with high-speed broadband, a high-quality voice call is not guaranteed.

Broadband is a post-dial-up term used to describe fast internet connectivity. Early on, this typically meant speeds from around 512 kbps and above. Today, many countries have average broadband speeds of well over 2 Mbps, according to the Worldwide Speed League.

This article explains why you can still experience poor call quality with Aircall, even when your internet speed appears to be very good.

Download vs upload

Broadband connections are bi-directional, and most internet activity sends traffic in both directions.

When browsing the web:

• Most of the data is downloaded to the end-user device.

• Only a small amount of data is uploaded, mainly as control packets.

In enterprise environments, broadband connections will typically have similar download and upload bandwidth capabilities. This is usually not the case for home users.

For home internet connections:

• Download requirements are generally higher than upload.

• Internet Service Providers often offer reduced upload speeds, sometimes an order of magnitude smaller.

Examples:

• A home user with 80 Mbps download may have only 20 Mbps upload.

• A user with 2 Mbps download may have as little as 512 kbps upload.

This difference is important for voice calls:

• 2 Mbps download may be sufficient for receiving voice from Aircall servers.

• 512 kbps upload can cause issues for outgoing audio, especially when other traffic is present on the network.

If you suspect your bandwidth is overused:

• Switch off unnecessary devices on your network.

• Close unused programs on your device.

Wireless connectivity

Wireless devices offer convenience and freedom of movement. Many peripherals, such as keyboards, mice, microphones, and earphones, now operate wirelessly over technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

However, reliability can be an issue:

• When browsing the web over Wi-Fi, increases in latency are often not noticeable.

• Fast broadband speeds can mask temporary interruptions in connectivity.

• An extra 200 milliseconds of delay here and there often goes unnoticed in web browsing.

During a voice call, these imperfections matter more:

• Latency effects are effectively doubled, since both callers are affected.

• Small interruptions can become noticeable and frustrating.

Voice quality is impacted not only by Wi-Fi internet connectivity but also by all wireless devices used between callers:

• Wireless earphones and microphones can reduce audio quality.

• They may create artifacts during calls.

• Even high-quality wireless devices, such as Apple’s AirPods, can cause problems.

To ensure the best call quality with Aircall:

• Use cabled connections for both internet and peripherals.

• Use a short, unbroken Cat 6 Ethernet cable to connect your device to your router.

• Use high-quality wired headphones or headsets and microphone.

If you need a list of recommended hardward, you can contact Aircall Support.

Flooded internet connection

Even if your internet connection provides sufficient bandwidth, you may still experience call quality issues if:

• Other devices are consuming most of the available capacity.

• Too little bandwidth remains for voice packets to be transmitted and received efficiently.

In this situation, your connection may be flooded or heavily contended.