Multifrecuencia de doble tono

¿Qué es la señalización multifrecuencia de dos tonos?

Dual-tone multi-frequency signaling (also known as DTMF) is a telecommunications technology for transferring information between telephone devices and telephone switching centers by means of in-band audio tones sent over voice frequencies. Simply put, DTMF signaling translates audible tones from pressing keys on telephone keypads into readable information that telecom companies use to process incoming phone calls.

Una red de empresas de telecomunicaciones llamada The Bell System introdujo DTMF en 1963. Posteriormente se convirtió en marca registrada como “Touch-Tone” para su uso en teléfonos con botones. Se usó principalmente para la señalización telefónica hacia y desde la central local, aunque DTMF hizo posible las llamadas de larga distancia y hoy en día se usa ampliamente en telecomunicaciones y centros de llamadas.

Como sugiere el nombre, la señalización multifrecuencia de dos tonos utiliza una combinación de ocho frecuencias de audio transmitidas en pares para representar dieciséis señales, representadas por los diez dígitos numéricos, las letras de la A a la D y los símbolos # y *. Las claves A, B, C, D, terminaron cayendo de los teléfonos de escritorio de los consumidores y se utilizan principalmente en equipos de radio y controles de redes internas de las compañías telefónicas.

¿Para qué se utiliza la señalización multifrecuencia de dos tonos?

DTMF funciona asignando ocho frecuencias de audio diferentes a las filas y columnas del teclado. Cada fila de marcación está definida por una frecuencia de tono bajo y cada columna por una frecuencia de tono alto. Cuando se presiona una tecla correspondiente a un número o símbolo, el teléfono genera un tono que combina simultáneamente señales de alta y baja frecuencia. Este par de señales único se transmite luego a la central local y se decodifica para determinar qué número se marcó y cómo enrutar la llamada de manera apropiada. DTMF se puede transmitir a través de líneas telefónicas activas, Internet y una radio.

The primary function of dual-tone multi-frequency signaling is identifying the dialed number and process information from customers. DTMF is employed in various industries ranging from telecommunications (inbound/ outbound call centers) and financial institutions (banks and credit card companies) to insurance and healthcare organizations. In call centers, DTMF signaling is mainly used to process user requests, obtain identification information, and route phone calls based on the keypad entries made by the caller. In addition, the DTMF technology is used in conjunction with IVR (Interactive voice response) and ACD (Automated call distribution) systems to navigate in-call menus and gather sensitive customer data.

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El uso de la señalización DTMF tiene una serie de ventajas, como:

Higher security

When it comes to obtaining user input, dual-tone multi-frequency signaling provides a higher level of security. It reassures callers that their sensitive data (like credit card information, social security numbers, etc.) are protected and safe from malicious intents. As the human ear cannot interpret DTMF tones, sensitive customer information remains isolated from agents and call recording systems.

Reduced probability of errors

Con la tecnología multifrecuencia de dos tonos, solo hay un punto de entrada de datos. Sin DTMF, la persona que llama tendría que leer los datos, ya que el agente tendría que escribirlos en su aplicación de escritorio, lo que aumentaría la posibilidad de errores en ambos extremos.

Improved call center metrics

Obtaining user input via dual-tone multi-frequency signaling can also improve several inbound call center metrics, such as Average Handling Time (AHT). Since agents don’t need to repeat user details back to the caller to confirm the accuracy of the input, the average duration of an interaction with a caller is reduced. In addition, the increased security provided by DTMF can contribute to improved customer satisfaction levels.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre la marcación por pulsos y la marcación DTMF?

La marcación por pulsos y la marcación multifrecuencia de dos tonos (DTMF) son los dos sistemas que se utilizan en la señalización telefónica para identificar el número de teléfono que marca la persona que llama. En la marcación por pulsos, los pulsos se generan conectando y desconectando rápidamente la conexión telefónica. La marcación por pulsos indica cada dígito del número de teléfono mediante una serie de clics que corresponde solo a ese dígito. Así, 1 está representado por un clic, 2 por dos clics, y así sucesivamente. Los números se marcan con un espacio corto entre pulsos para identificar un dígito del siguiente. La tecnología de marcación por pulsos ya no se utiliza activamente.

DTMF dialing uses different tones to indicate a different number. Thus, instead of sending multiple signals for each digit, it would only need to send one for each. Before the introduction of DTMF dialing, telephone communication networks depended on pulse dialing. However, it had the disadvantage that it was limited to the local exchange connections and required an intermediate operator for connecting long-distance calls. Since the launch of DTMF, touch-tone dialing became the primary dialing method that gradually replaced pulse dialing (along with its associated rotary dial telephones). Despite this, most telephone systems that use tone dialing can also recognize and work with pulse dialing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is dual-tone multi-frequency signaling?
Dual-tone multi-frequency signaling (DTMF), also called touch-tone, is a system used for telecommunication signaling over an active telephone line in the voice frequency band between communication devices. Whenever a number is dialed, the DTMF is decoded by the local exchange in order to route the call. DTMF systems use eight different frequency signals transmitted in pairs (one high frequency and one low frequency) to represent 16 different numbers, letters, and symbols.
What is dual-tone multi-frequency signaling used for?
Today, the DTMF signaling technology is widely used in the call center industry to route incoming calls using the keypad entries made by the caller and process user requests. When paired with Interactive Voice Response (IVR), DTMF provides automated self-service menu selection and gathers sensitive customer data. As a result, it has a number of advantages, such as the reduced probability of errors, higher security, and improved metrics (reduced average call handling time).
What is the difference between pulse dialing and DTMF dialing?
Pulse dialing and dual-tone multi-frequency dialing (tone dialing) are the two methods used in telephone signaling to recognize the dialed number. Pulse dialing uses different signal pulses to indicate the phone number dialed by a caller, while DTMF dialing uses specific tones to indicate the number. Since the introduction of DTMF, pulse dialing has lost its significance. Tone dialing has now become the standard for telephone companies worldwide.

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