The invention is a method and system for reliably detecting the start andor end of silence periods during voice-over-internet-protocol sessions in a wireless communications network. Compression and decompression functions are associated with a column of the table, in order to perform compression of decimal, numeric or date data stored in the column when the data is inserted or updated in the table, and in order to perform decompression of the data stored in the column when the data is retrieved from the table. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C. The digital data may be collected based on electromagnetic signals received from another proximity sensing circuit via the antenna.