|
By Christine Hancock
It’s always been AT&T and the Bell Companies. They have been
in
control for a very long time. They have been able to decide
what
you pay for telephone service and what you pay for long
distance. Just like TV took advertisers away from radio, the
Internet is taking phone service away from the old monopolies
like AT&T and Bell.
The phone company giants are trembling. They are filing court
cases. Their lawyers are working overtime trying to stop the
tide of people who are switching from traditional telephone
service to VOIP. When the giants are scared, you know we are
onto something big.
What is VOIP? Voice Over Internet Protocol. According to
www.shiftnetworks.com/glossary.cfm “Voice over Internet
Protocol is the technology used to transmit voice
conversations
over a data network using the Internet Protocol. Such data
network may be the Internet or a corporate Intranet.”
“www.novacon.com/faq_s-z.htm has a better explanation.
(Voice over Internet Protocol) - A category of hardware and
software that enables people to use the Internet as the
transmission medium for telephone calls. Voice data is sent in
packets using rather than by traditional POTS circuits. One
advantage of VoIP is that the telephone calls over the
Internet
do not incur a surcharge beyond what the user is paying for
Internet access, much in the same way that the user doesn't
pay
for sending individual e-mails over the Internet.”
That is the explanation that is getting many people to switch
to VOIP. You pay for Internet access. You send all the email
you want to even though the US postal service had wanted to
control it and charge you money for each email. That didn’t
happen. The fact that the Internet’s definition is
International Network keeps the US Postal Service from having
any control over it.
The big phone companies would like to be able to charge for
every phone call made using VOIP, but again, they do not
control it. Don’t count them out. They are trying. However,
history shows if you try to control or get in the way to block
progress, you lose in the long run.
VOIP is here to stay. You can make calls over VOIP without
telephone charges and most of all without the normal FCC taxes
you see on your telephone bill each month. There are VOIP
services available for $20 per month out there that include
your normal phone service and all of your Long Distance.
If I use VOIP, who can I call? According to one vendor’s
website, “Anyone and everyone! Any local phone, mobile phone,
long distance, or international number — if a number can be
dialed, you can call it with voip. And if you have domestic
long distance included, you can say goodbye to your long
distance bill as well.”
Internet phone service or VOIP replaces your existing phone
service much the way cellphones have for many people. Most of
these Internet based services provide you a lot of features,
like voicemail, call waiting, and three-way calling, at no
extra charge. They provide free local and long distance
calling. And unlike cellphones, it’s not just free on the
third
rainy Saturday of the month between 3am and 3:45am.
I am comparing some of the services for myself as I write this
article. I just saw one plan for $15.95 per month with
unlimited calling. No long distance fees to add on, no
activation fee if you sign up for a one or two year plan. I
like VOIP already, but I am a shrewd customer. I am going to
keep looking.
You should do the same. Start looking through the Internet for
VOIP services. Compare plans. See what they have to offer.
Make
the best deal for yourself and your family. But no matter
which
plan you choose, VOIP is the future of telephone and long
distance services.
About The Author: Christine is the owner of
onlinevoipinfo.com/ which deals specifically with PC to
Phone and PC to PC VoIP. The site includes a comprehensive
information on VoIP.
|