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By Mark Woodcock
Making telephone calls over the Internet is an exciting and
cost saving technology that is taking a position to completely
change voice communications forever. VOIP, or voice over
Internet protocol, is not a brand new technology, having been
around the business world for several years. But in the last
few years, it has begun to catch on with consumers as a way to
combine all forms of their communications in their homes
(voice, email, etc.) and beat the high fees that long distance
companies on their customers. There are many VOIP phone
services around now that offer the moon and more in order to
get business. It is important to carefully weigh the options
so
that you don't go to the trouble of switching from traditional
landline phone service to VOIP only to get stuck without phone
service when the provider goes under, or to get poor quality
service and features just to save money or get "free" VOIP
service.
As a subscriber to VOIP phone services, there are a multitude
of options available to you. You can opt to simply talk
through
a specially equipped microphone at your home computer, kind of
like a speakerphone. You can use your traditional home
telephone with the service, as long as you purchase a
telephony
adapter that will convert the analog audio into digital data
packets. You can also choose to buy an IP phone that is ready
to plug into your computer and use right away. You can even go
wireless. Don't be intimidated if you think that there is a
lot
of strange equipment to set up or that you will be
uncomfortable
talking on some "new" kind of phone. VOIP phone service is
really no different than the phone service that you are used
to, it's just the wiring is different.
The low subscription price is first and foremost what is
drawing consumers to VOIP phone services. Depending on the
provider you choose, monthly charges range from $19.95 -
$34.99
per month. This usually includes free domestic calls
(including
Canada) and very low International rates (often .03 - .04 per
minute). And features that you might be accustomed to paying
extra monthly fees for, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, and
Three-way Calling are often bundled in with the standard
services and standard monthly charge. And don't worry about
calling people outside of the service. Most providers have the
capabilities to let you do that. And, calling people within
your service is often free of charge. There really seems like
there is no reason not to switch to VOIP phone services,
right?
There are some issues to think about before making the switch
to VOIP phone service. You need to consider the provider you
choose. Some services offer "free" VOIP service. This is often
a gimmick, and what you are not paying for in phone service is
apparent in the poor quality reception and limited calling
capabilities that you will have to deal with. Some newer
providers are often not established enough to handle high
volumes of traffic, and often go under, leaving customers in
the dark without any phone service at all. It is smart to
choose a well-established provider with a good reputation for
quality and customer service, in addition to competitive rates
and features. Also, it might be a good idea to consider
switching only one phone in your home to VOIP. That way, if
your provider does go out of business, you have a backup phone
line to communicate with.
Don't be too concerned about losing your phone service or
getting swindled by a fly-by-night VOIP phone service
provider.
There are several reputable providers on the market, and a
testament to that is the continuing growth of the technology.
In addition to the money you will save by subscribing to VOIP
service, you will have the freedom of being able to travel
with
your phone and phone number and make calls anywhere you go. If
you have access to a broadband Internet connection, you can
make and receive calls by simply plugging in. This is ideal if
you travel a lot for business. Besides the obvious money
savings involved with VOIP phone service, it is a convenient
technology that gives you a lot of options and freedom that
traditional telephone services just can't provide.
About The Author: Mark is a director of 3 Internet Companies,
is a published author and has written many articles on a
widespread number of topics. All his articles may be
reproduced
provided that an active link is included to
www.voip-services-provider.com
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