Impact of security on voice quality in 3G networks

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of security protocols on the quality of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in a third generation (3G) network. Long distance calls are expensive and the potential of cost saving is the most attractive feature in VoIP. In VoIP, voice traffic travels using the Internet protocol instead of using a conventional line. Assuring quality of service (QoS) is one of primary issues in an IP based application. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the performance to ensure that the quality is acceptable to the users. This paper discusses the security protocol at the IP layer. It also presents the results of system simulations which provide some insights into the conditions and parameters involved. The results indicate that a security algorithm has a great impact on the overall performance of a voice service which may degrade the voice quality to an unacceptable level.