WHAT IS VOIP?
The term "VoIP" is an acronym for "Voice over internet protocol".
It is often referred to as voice over
internet, internet phone service, broadband phone service,
cable phone
service, digital phone and voice over IP.
VoIP is a technology for transmitting
ordinary telephone calls over the Internet using packet linked routes
(voice signals are converted to digital data packets).
An Internet connection is used to
pass voice data using IP (internet protocol) instead of using the
standard public switched telephone network (PSTN). This can avoid long
distance telephone charges, as the only connection is through the
Internet. Voice over
internet protocol technology converts an analog sound (your voice)
into digital (data) packets and transmits these packets over the
internet. At the destination, data packets are converted back into
analog sound. A small box called a VoIP adapter takes care of the
conversion from digital to analog and vice versa. The VoIP
adapter is normally provided by the VoIP service provider. With
internet phone service, you can call anyone that has a phone number - The
person you are calling doesn’t need to be using VOIP phone service.
Voice over IP phone service companies
use this relatively new technology to provide internet phone service
to you. VOIP service providers offer different levels of service
packages, and you usually pay a flat monthly fee for the amount of
local and long distance minutes you require. Because the technology is
efficient and uses the internet instead of Ma Bell’s expensive PSTN
network, internet phone service is MUCH CHEAPER than traditional
land line phone service. Most VoIP service providers offer at
least two service plans - unlimited local and long distance, and
limited (usually 500 minutes per month) local and long distance.
Broadband phone service is cheap
VoIP prices for unlimited local and
long distance service range from around $20 - $30 per month (which
includes all long distance calls within the US and Canada).
VoIP prices for limited local and
long distance minutes range from around $15 - $20 per month (which
includes a fixed number of long distance calls within the US and Canada).
Free long distance calling
Most internet phone service providers
offer free "in-network" calling. This means that all
calls between same-company subscribers are free - including
international VoIP calls. You can easily
compare VoIP providers
to get more information on prices and services from top VoIP providers.
How to Save Big Money on Your Phone Bill With
VoIP
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Cheap phone service |
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VoIP prices for unlimited local and
long distance service range from around $20 - $30 per month.
Telephone and cable companies normally charge around $40 for
unlimited long distance calling. Save nearly 50% on
unlimited calling with a VoIP service provider. |
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Unlimited local and long distance
calling |
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Talk all you want for free within the
50 US states as well as Canada. Many VoIP service providers
have unlimited international calling plans as well. If you
make long distance calls, you will save up to 80% on your phone
bill by switching to VoIP internet phone. |
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Cheap international calling |
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International calling rates are much
lower than with long distance companies, averaging a few cents
per minute. See
VoIP cheap
international call for more information and to compare VoIP
providers. |
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Unlimited calling to Western Europe |
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If you make frequent calls to Europe,
check out VoIP service with
Lingo. Western Europe calling is
included in their unlimited local and long distance plan! See
"compare internet
phone service providers" for more information. |
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Some VoIP providers offer unlimited
international calling plans |
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Packet8 and
Lingo offer
inexpensive unlimited international calling plans. If
you need to make international long distance calls, you can make
cheap international calls with VoIP! |
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Virtual Phone Numbers |
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You can get additional "virtual phone
numbers" in different states (usually around $5 per month).
Callers can then make a "local" call to you. This is an
inexpensive way to keep in touch with children away at college or
in the military - your kids can call home all they want for
"free". |
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Free features |
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If you are currently paying extra for
features (like call waiting, voicemail, caller id, etc...) now,
you'll be pleased to know that most internet phone service
providers give you all the features you could ever want for FREE!
Examples of typical free features are voicemail, caller id,
voicemail to email, call forwarding, call waiting, call blocking,
etc... |
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Quality of VoIP internet phone service
A few years ago in the early days of
VoIP, sound quality was poor and the service unreliable. Due to
continuing advancements, the quality of service is now near excellent
and getting better all the time! After my first week with VoIP
internet phone service, I was so happy with the quality (and price)
that I had my land line phone turned off. I use VoIP as my one
and only home phone service now!
Just like with any phone service,
sometimes you get a bad connection. I simply hang up and redial,
and the connection is always better. VoIP service feels and acts
just like regular land line phone service. You can rarely tell a difference in
voice quality.
VoIP as Your Primary Phone Service
Many people are using VoIP internet
phone service as their primary residential phone service. I
myself use VoIP as my main phone. This is an excellent idea and
will save you a lot of money, but be aware of VoIP's limitations.
Limitations of VoIP
VoIP will not work if your power is out
or your internet connection is down. For this reason,
it's best to have a backup plan - such as a cell phone - that you can
use if you have no internet phone service. This is the biggest
drawback to VoIP, and should only pose a problem if your house is
prone to power outages or internet connection outages. You can
help overcome this obstacle by connecting your VoIP router and
cable/DSL modem to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply), which will
provide temporary power in the event of a loss. If you have a
cell phone, you can prevent missed phone calls in the event of a power
or internet outage by using a VoIP provider that offers call
forwarding. Set the forwarding to ring your cell phone if the
local network is down.
Two Types of Voip
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There are 2 basic types of VoIP internet phone service - Hard
Phones and SoftPhones
Hard Phone internet phone service is
primarily designed to be a permanent phone in your home or office.
A VoIP adapter connects to your broadband modem or router and also to
a telephone. The VoIP adapter serves as your phone system.
This is the most common and most convenient type of internet phone
service and is what this site mostly focuses on.
SoftPhone internet phone service is
designed to be portable, and is usually used with a computer. It
is often called a PC Phone. You install free VoIP software on your
computer and connect a headset ore a USB phone. Calls are then made over your
computer. For information on SoftPhones, please see the
Soft Phone page.
With VoIP softphone, it is possible
to make totally free long distance calls. Most VoIP providers
give you free VoIP software and let you set up a free VoIP account.
You can use your computer to call other softphone users on the same
network (i.e. Skype to Skype) for free. The only time you pay is
if you call a land line phone, cell phone, or VoIP phone from another
provider.
Skype lets you make free calls
over the Internet.
It’s free to download and you can add on voicemail for a
weenie fee.
I absolutely love my
Packet8 broadband phone
service! Please be sure to check out all of the other information
on this site so you can see how easy it is to save money with VoIP!
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More Information on VoIP
The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) provides an excellent overview of
Voice Over Internet Phone Service.
Click here to read
more
The FCC also has a page of
consumer facts on VOIP.
You can see it here.
You need to have broadband
internet service in order to use VoIP. This can be cable, DSL or
T-1. Your cable or telephone company doesn't necessarily have a
monopoly on broadband in your area. You might be lucky enough to
live in an area where you have several choices for broadband service,
which means you can SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY . If you need
broadband, or want to see what your options are -
take a minute to see what choices are available in your area.
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Skype lets you make free calls
over the Internet.
It’s free to download and you can add on voicemail for a
weenie fee.
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