It seems like everywhere you go these days, people are talking about the VOIP phone service they got and how much they like it. Many college students do not even have a regular telephone in their dorm room or apartment, but instead they opt for VOIP phone services. What is all the hubbub? Did you ever feel like you were missing something and did not know what it was?
VOIP might be a good thing for you but you need to be sure you understand what it is and what it is not. VOIP phone service has disadvantages that you need to be aware of so you can decide if VOIP is for you.
VOIP phone service uses your existing high-speed Internet connection and allows you to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. That is the entire bottom line summary of what VOIP is. But you need to dig under the surface a bit in order to determine if VOIP is right for you.
First of all, not all parts of the country can get a local phone number. If you live in a rural area, chances are that a LOCAL telephone number for your VOIP service is not going to be available. What that means is that if someone local wants to call you, even your next door neighbor, they may have to make a long distance call to reach you.
Yes, you can “port” your existing phone number to your new VOIP service, but there have been so many horror stories about how the phone companies screws that up that I would not recommend that option. It SHOULD be simple, it should be seamless, but like many other things, the reality of what happens does not reflect the simplicity of doing it.
You also need a high-speed Internet conection and this is not provided with the VOIP service from any of the VOIP providers. They assume you already have this. In most cases they are right as the price of home DSL and home cable Internet prices keep going down. But even if you already have high-speed Internet access, you should carefully consider the following two points:
1. A high-speed Internet connection does NOT include satellite. If you have a satellite high-speed Internet connection, do not consider VOIP because you will not be happy. Sure they will SELL it to you but with a satellite high-speed connection, you will not be happy and you will sound like you are talking from the bottom of a bathtub in best case.
2. Is your existing high-speed Internet connection reliable? Remember, when your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your VOIP service and you will not be able to make or receive any calls. If you are on DSL and your speed is very slow because you are at the end of their pipe, VOIP is going to likely be a problem there too.
Now if you have not been scared away yet, then VOIP phone service might be a good idea for you. VOIP conversation quality is typically as good as or better than your traditional phone conversation. But the big draw for VOIP is the economic considerations. With your phone company, a phone line costs about $25 a month and for that you get a dial tone and perhaps unlimited local calling. That is it and everything else is extra. But with VOIP phone service, you get unlimited calling throughout the entire continental US (some VOIP providers also include Canada), plus caller ID, plus voice mail, plus call waiting, and the VOIP service costs about the same amount of money, and with some VOIP providers, even under $20 per month. Even if they are the same, the fact that long distance is already included in your VOIP service is a huge benefit.
Consider joining the VOIP phone service bandwagon today, but like anything else, be sure you do all your homework first to make sure VOIP is right for you.
Jon is a computer engineer with a wide variety of skills and expertise in many areas. To get more information about VOIP Phone Services, please visit his web site at http://www.voipinsideinfo.com
Author: Jon Arnold
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times
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