Why is the transmission control protocol (TCP) unsuitable for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) applications?

The reason TCP is considered unsuitable for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications primarily revolves around its nature as a connection-oriented protocol. TCP establishes a connection between the sender and receiver before data is transmitted, ensuring that packets arrive in order and without error. While this method guarantees data integrity and the correct sequence of packets, it introduces latency that is disruptive for real-time communications like VoIP.

Voice transmissions require minimal delay and need to handle data in real-time to maintain the flow of conversation. If TCP encounters packet loss, it will retransmit those packets, leading to increased delays and jitter, which adversely affect the quality of voice calls. Instead, protocols like User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which are connectionless and allow for faster data transmission without waiting for acknowledgments, are preferred for VoIP applications, as they can handle the inherent loss of some packets without significantly impacting the overall experience.

Understanding these characteristics helps clarify why TCP's connection-oriented approach is not suited for the needs of real-time voice communication systems.