Voxbone’s iNum Service Speaks in High Definition With Skype

Voxbone, a provider of international VoIP origination services and telephone numbers, today announced that its geographically-independent number service, iNum, now supports high-definition (HD) calling between dozens of VoIP networks and Skype.

Voxbone will transcode, or translate, between Skype’s super-wideband SILK codec and the  HD codec, G.722. Prefaced with the ITU-assigned 883 code, iNum numbers refer to the Internet as the 44 country code refers to the U.K. Calls to iNum numbers are routed first to Voxbone, which delivers them to the appropriate service provider over IP. 

“With iNum supplying the needed uniform identifier across all providers, our support for Skype’s SILK codec kicks high-definition voice into higher gear,” said Tim Behrsin, Voxbone’s business development manager for iNum. “Suddenly, those among Skype’s 480 million registered users who have the latest version of Skype for Windows or Mac can experience HD quality not only in conversations with one another but also when they call most of the world’s other HD-capable endpoints. As we support more codecs, we expect to advance this benefit until HD becomes the sound quality standard for VoIP and eventually all telephony.”

Because iNum numbers can be dialed from PSTN phones as well as IP endpoints, Voxbone’s move enables conference calls with attendees on conventional phones, who will hear within the PSTN’s audio constraints, and others with high-definition IP endpoints, who will enjoy the richer sound of HD calling.

“Partnering with Voxbone logically follows our decision in March to make the SILK codec freely available,” said Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s general manager for audio and video. “Voxbone’s support for SILK is a great endorsement and will enable many providers to offer SILK sound quality without making infrastructure changes.”