VoIP Offers alternative to the traditional landline wire telephone services

In an age where the internet is beckoning today’s growing technology, phone lines are now going online too. Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short, is joining the technological trend in switching signals from analog to digital. With VoIP phone services, phone calls are made over the internet as opposed to the landline wire services that telephones traditionally operate on.

All that is required is a broadband internet connection or more specifically, an internet connection that is provided via cable modem or any type of high-speed connection such as a DSL or a LAN. If a broadband connection is available, hooking up a phone or computer to a VoIP service can be done. As long as a broadband connection is up and running, a VoIP phone service is capable of running as well. If a broadband connection exists, service may be provided to subscribers in one of three ways.

A VoIP service may be hooked up to a computer. This usually requires software and a microphone. VoIP computer to computer calls generally require no fee under most subscriptions, which makes long distance and international calling cheap. Travelers who take their computers with them wherever they go are able to use their VoIP services in areas where wireless internet services exist. These areas include airports, cafes, parks and other areas where wireless internet is available. Computer users don’t have to worry about traditional cell phone issues such as getting service or roaming and long distance charges that tend to sky-rocket when traveling. The software installed on the computer will alert the subscriber of incoming calls and will provide the user with special features and options.

For those who are not so computer savvy, a special VoIP telephone is available. These telephones come with an Ethernet port that is built-in and ready to plug into a broadband internet connection. IP phones are portable and are generally small. Anywhere there is a broadband connection an IP phone can be used. A good number of VoIP services will provide an IP phone for free with purchase of a subscription.

Those who don’t want to let go of the analog telephone can still get VoIP service with an Analog Telephone Adapter (an ATA). This adaptor will make it possible to convert analog signals to digital so that phone calls can be made over the internet.

All VoIP products convert analog signals into digital data. A voice goes into the telephone or microphone, is converted from analog data to digital data and travels over the internet to the receiver. Don’t anticipate issues when calling not so technologically advanced friends and family members because when a VoIP service sends a digital signal to a regular phone number, the signal is converted back into a regular telephone signal before it reaches the other end. In fact, using a VoIP service via an adaptor or IP phone is much like using a regular telephone. It will ring just like your regular telephone always has and user reviews say the quality is much like that of a typical landline service.

The major advantage to this new telephone technology is cost. Most providers offer a fixed rate per month that includes local and long distance calling regardless of time or place. Some services restrict unlimited calling to a designated area, but when calling outside of this area calls don’t tend to cost much extra. The general cost of calls and subscriptions is very low compared to traditional wire services. Portability comes into play when subscribers don’t have to pay a high extra fee for roaming and long-distance calling as they do when using mobile phones.

The packages offered by VoIP providers often include features that wire services don’t provide, or services that traditionally come at an extra cost. Most VoIP services include features such as call waiting, three way calling, etc under their subscription plan as opposed to charging extra for them as add-ons to the basic subscription price. You can also send data like documents and pictures, at no extra cost. The price of features of course varies on a service to service basis.

Concern emerges when dealing with 911 emergency calls made over VoIP connections. VoIP 911 calls are handled differently than wire 911 calls. The origin of VoIP calls cannot always be traced as they are with land wire emergency calls. The FCC’s regulations and Enhanced 911 program aim to keep VoIP users safe and significantly lessen the concern for subscribers in a state of emergency. Sooner or later this problem will most likely become obsolete.

Some of the top VoIP providers include Vonage, AT&T CallVantage, Packet8 and BroadVoice. Plenty of telephone service providers are jumping on the digital bandwagon, so more carriers are expected to expand this way as well.

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com