Okay, I’m going to try to keep this as non-technical as possible at first for those of you that are unfamiliar with VoIP Broadband Phone Service. Later, I will attempt to provide a little bit more on the technical side of things in order to try and help make things clearer for us all. So for now, if you “techies” will bear with me, I will try to get the rest of us up to speed.
I’m sure that all of us at one time or another have heard the term VoIP. If you haven’t, or didn’t already know, VoIP means “Voice over Internet Protocol.” What it does is it transmits voice over the internet and other IP networks. Since around 2004, mass marketed VoIP services have been gaining in popularity. Much like regular land line or cell phone services, VoIP broadband phone services can offer both inbound and outbound calls. A big advantage of VoIP broadband phone service providers, though, is that many of them offer unlimited calling plans for a flat fee that are much cheaper than regular or cell phone plans for domestic calling. In addition, many VoIP service providers also offer inexpensive calls to other countries, too.
Some of the different ways that you can get started using VoIP technology are as follows:
- As far as their functionality is concerned, existing VoIP phones are similar to cell phones, but they rely on an IP connection to transmit their calls instead. Service plans for VoIP phones can be purchased from VoIP broadband phone service providers.
- A “softphone” is basically an internet phone with software installed on it that allows you to make VoIP calls without any additional hardware necessary.
- A regular telephone jack can be used to make calls with VoIP, too, as long as you have a broadband internet connection and an analog adapter. These services are a lot like traditional land line services and are offered at a flat, inexpensive rate, etc.
I would say one of the main benefits when it comes to VoIP broadband phone service, when compared to regular or mobile phone services, is the price. Normally, regular and mobile phone services are usually billed by the minute, but VoIP service is billed by the amount of data that’s being transmitted. These costs are usually much less expensive than the per-minute rates the other types of phone services charge. Another benefit is that VoIP broadband phone service is generally much more flexible than the other types of phone services. With traditional land line service you would have to have extra lines installed in order to make multiple calls simultaneously over the same system. Not so with VoIP broadband phone service. This advantage, combined with cheaper prices, are causing many businesses to switch over to VoIP. In addition, VoIP services do not rely upon a set location the way that traditional landlines do. Internet phones (“softphones”) and VoIP phones can be used anywhere they’re able to connect and transmit through an IP. In the case of softphones, they also have the capability to be integrated with other types of services available on the Internet, such as sending files or other data and video conferencing.
Now as good as this all sounds, VoIP services are susceptible to some problems of their own, like delays that can be caused by congestion. If there is too much data being sent over an IP network, delays or loss of quality can result due to the fixed maximum capacity of the network. Another possible problem that could happen is because VoIP broadband phone service relies upon the same types of routers that other Internet connections use, they can be subjected to power failures. Since VoIP gets its power from the router, if there’s a power failure then obviously the service won’t work. As far as I’m concerned this is only a minor disadvantage that VoIP broadband phone service may have when compared to traditional phone service. Since regular telephones are powered through the phone lines themselves, they are not subjected to power failures and can still function when there’s an outage. Now this ceases to be a problem if you just get yourself a battery backup power supply so that in the event of a power outage you don’t have to worry about losing your service. The backup battery kicks in if the power goes out and keeps the equipment up and running, problem solved!
The Advantages of VoIP
Whether you’ve been kicking around the idea of switching over to VoIP Broadband Phone Service or you’ve never even heard of it before, if you’re interested in increasing both the quality of your phone service and the money that stays in your bank account, then listen up. As I see it, here are just some of the reasons why you should lose all of your current phone services in favor of VoIP over both traditional land line and cellular services:
- With Voice over Internet Protocol phone service, you will no longer have a need for your land line phones any longer – Now I’m not telling you to rip out your old phones and throw them in the trash, yet. The technology is still in somewhat of a transitional period and you may need to find a way to use both services while getting used to a new system, but soon enough you will find that your old system is no longer needed. VoIP broadband phone service will also eliminate the need for any long distance services you currently have and will save you money by dropping these expensive services and, eventually, your land line service altogether.
- Communications with VoIP are unlimited – Once you choose which VoIP broadband phone service provider you’re going to go with you will be put on a flat rate service where you can have unlimited communications worldwide. Depending on your equipment, many service providers don’t even charge extra for international calls. But even the ones that do, their fees are next to nothing compared to what you were paying for the same services with traditional land line and cell phone services.
- Conference calling is no longer limited, either – Previous 3-way calling service found with land line and cellular phones are no longer limited to just you and maybe 2 other people on the conversation. Now you can have as many as you want on the call because virtually all VoIP service providers offer a better solution. Since the internet is used as the method of delivery with VoIP broadband phone service, technology is no longer 2-dimensional. Using VoIP broadband phone service for both conference calls and teleseminars is relatively simple which makes it an excellent idea for business.
- VoIP Broadband Phone Service is cheap – But not in the sense of it not being worth what you pay for it. You will definitely be getting more than your money’s worth. Why, even the most expensive of VoIP service providers are much less expensive than traditional services. By eliminating the middlemen and others that have a hand in helping to provide you with your current services, VoIP can bring your costs down dramatically. In addition, since your connection is established and maintained through the internet you don’t have to worry about the need for it to have to go through land based wiring systems that are in need of constant repairs, maintenance and upgrades. Now initially there may be some small additional charges when the person on the other end of the line you need to talk to is still using a land line or cell phone service (at least until they wise up and get VoIP) because the need for the “middleman” still exists. Just be sure to check with your chosen provider for any rates that may apply.
- No additional costs for Internet services – Service packages offered by most VoIP providers allow you to save money on your broadband service from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) by providing you with the same quality service included in your VoIP broadband phone service plan. By going with a VoIP service provider that offers the option of broadband Internet service, too, you will save more money by being able to get rid of the added expense of a separate ISP.
- There are all kinds of free services and features with VoIP – Many VoIP broadband phone service providers don’t even charge you to use their services at all. For example, since VoIP operates using your computer’s broadband technology, if the person you need to talk to has VoIP, too, all you need to do is activate your VoIP service and that’s it because most with most VoIP service providers computer to computer calls are free. By eliminating the need to pay for the rental fees of cell towers or land lines there are no expenses involved when placing calls over the internet to someone else with VoIP broadband phone service. In addition, many of the features you would normally have to pay extra for with traditional services like caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, call forwarding, voice mail, etc., are included and already set up for you in most packages available from your VoIP provider. Many of these features were rarely even used with the other types of services because there were always additional fees that were charged for them. Once you acquire these features along with your VoIP broadband phone service and begin using them, you will be asking yourself how you ever did without them. Once again, always be sure that you check with your provider for the services and features included with your plan and any rates that may apply.
- VoIP is capable of sending both files and data – VoIP broadband phone service allows you to send files or data, like faxes, over the connection, too. Just like you would over your broadband connection from your computer, you can send faxes anywhere faster and at a much lower cost than you would with a cell phone or a land line. VoIP allows you to send files or data much in the same way that you would if you were downloading a file from the internet.
- VoIP goes with you where ever you go – Since the internet is accessible throughout the world, VoIP will always be there with you. Where ever you can establish a broadband connection you can use your VoIP broadband phone service to make a call. Wireless, or WiFi, “hotspots” are available in hotels, coffee shops, airports, etc., all over the world so you will almost always have your service there with you. If you’re out on the road a lot, just think about all the money that you’ll save by not having to pay extra for long distance calls or additional cell phone service fees when you need to make a call back home. Staying in touch with the office or, if you’ve gotten rid of your old traditional service at home, too, the family will be just like being there. All you will need to do is hook up a headset and microphone to your laptop and you’ll be good to go. There are also VoIP phones, or softphones, available that are a lot like cell phones with software installed on them that will allow you to use the service much in the same way by tapping into an existing internet signal. Some VoIP broadband phone service providers include these phones as part of the package you choose so that anywhere there is a broadband connection available, you can use your softphone to make calls just the same.
Hopefully this has helped to clear up any of the questions you may have had in regards to why you should get rid of your current land line or cell phone service, or both, and go with VoIP broadband phone service instead, whether it be for your business or personal use. Besides, if you already have a computer with a broadband connection, a router, a microphone and/or a headset, then you’re already more than halfway there.
VoIP is the future of telecommunications and the future is now. So before you go and sign on for another year with your current cell phone provider or commit to another annual contract with your land line phone service, I highly recommend that you look into VoIP broadband phone service instead. Not only will you begin to reap the benefits of saving money by eliminating your current service providers right off the bat, you will also realize the convenience and quality that comes with VoIP, too. By doing so now, you will show other businesses that you’re staying on the cutting edge of technology and why they should be doing business with you and not somebody else. Because if you wait too long and suddenly find yourself falling behind in the game, it could already be too late. Let’s put it this way, if another business using VoIP broadband phone service is trying to get a hold of you and find themselves having to pay additional charges because they’re calling your traditional land line office phone, or cell phone for that matter, do you think they’re going to call back if they’ve managed to get a hold of someone else that’s not costing them additional money? Think about it.
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