Until now, telephones have transmitted voice traffic via analog signals over the standard public switched telephone network. Now, HIPCS enables your calls to travel as digital signals over SBC's private IP backbone. Rather than using a standard phone cord to connect your phone to the wall, you will use an ethernet cable to connect your computer or IP phone to the HIPCS system. Since all of your voice traffic is digital, a whole world of personalization and customization options are opened to you that were not possible with standard telephone technology.