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By Michael Brito
I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of being
ripped
off by my local phone company. For years, I have been held
captive by this monopolizing regime with no hope of moving on
to something better. It’s been a financial struggle that has
caused me to seek counseling numerous times throughout the
years. Why? Because my phone company charges me for
everything:
I want to add voicemail, they charge me. I call to change my
number because I am getting crank calls, they charge me. I
want
to add call waiting, they charge me. I want to disconnect,
they
charge me. I’m surprised they don’t charge me when I call into
a customer support.
So the question remains. Is there an affordable alternative to
local phone service? The answer is yes, and it’s called VoIP,
short for Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP is an emerging
technology that allows telephone calls to be transported over
an existing Internet connection.
Here is how it works.
First of all, you absolutely have to have a high speed
Internet
connection, either DSL or Cable. Then you have to subscribe to
a
monthly service plan offered by a VoIP service provider. Most
plans range from $20 and $30 per month, plus applicable taxes
and fees.
Once you sign up for a plan, most VoIP service providers will
send you a phone adapter. This is a little black box that
resembles a modem. There are several connections in the back
of
the phone adapter. One is for your existing Internet
connection,
using an Ethernet cable. Another connection is for the power
supply. There should also be a connection for a phone line.
That’s right. Whatever phone you have at home (unless it’s a
rotary phone) will work. Simply plug it into the phone
adapter,
wait a few seconds and you should have dial tone. Hopefully,
whatever VoIP service provider you sign up with will also send
installation instructions on how to set up your phone service.
It’s really easy and takes about five minutes or less to get
set up.
Why Choose VoIP?
This is simple question to answer. Say goodbye to the
counseling bills you have accumulated over the years because
you were inches away from bankruptcy. Say goodbye to all the
additional charges for the features that should have already
been included in your service plan. With VoIP, not only do you
pay a low monthly fee for unlimited calls to the U.S. and
Canada, but you also get all the features included like:
voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, and three-way calling.
Better yet, you get additional features that the traditional
phone companies cannot even offer like voicemail to email
(when
someone leaves you a voicemail, the system will send you an
email with an audio attachment so you can listen to the
message
from any computer), follow me – find me, call forwarding and
the
ability to choose your area code. This means that you can live
in New York and have a California phone number.
What to look for in a VoIP service provider.
First and foremost, ensure that the company offers true 911
emergency calling (E911). This is vital since the FCC might
shut them down if they don’t. Also, find out if they have a
trial period. This is always good practice because if you
don’t
like their VoIP service, you can always cancel without
penalty.
Other things to keep in mind are the following:
1. Are they a stable company?
2. How long have they been in business?
3. How many customers do they have?
4. What is their customer service like?
You can find out most of these questions by doing some
preliminary research in any VoIP forums or blogs.
Hurry up and switch to VoIP!
So what are you waiting for? Make the switch to VoIP so you
can
start saving on your monthly phone bill and finally tell your
phone company to VoIP Off!
About The Author: Click here for more in-depth information
about voip www.packet8.net products and services.
Michael Brito is an internet marketing consultant
www.michaelbrito.com and freelance writer for a variety
of consumer related products.
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