Charter Adds SIP Trunking For Voice To Biz Portfolio

Charter Communications this month will begin rolling out SIP trunking for Internet Protocol-based phone service to business customers in Wisconsin and Missouri.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking provides voice service over a converged voice and data network, eliminating the need for customers to purchase separate circuits or connections for voice traffic.

"Charter Business SIP Trunking will enable customers with an IP-PBX [phone system] to take maximum advantage of their IP capabilities by converging data and voice over the same access connection," Charter Business senior vice president Jim McGann said in a statement. "Our SIP Trunking solution simplifies configuration, reduces equipment costs and makes moves, additions or modifications simple."

The MSO's SIP trunking service promises to reduce costs, since customers need fewer trunks priced less per call path. It also provides disaster-recovery options to reroute calls to any phone in the event that service is disrupted at a business location.

Other MSOs that have moved to offer SIP trunking services include Comcast, Cox Communications and Cablevision Systems.