There are two main advantages to trading in your old analog phone for a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system: flexibility and price. But what exactly is VoIP, how does it work and more importantly how will it save you money? We'll cover all of that, but first, here's a quick primer on VoIP.
There is a very good chance that you have been using VoIP for some time now. That's because telecoms figured out a while ago that VoIP can help streamline the routing of 1000's of phone calls. But lately VoIP has been gaining acceptance into homes and businesses as a cheaper alternative to traditional phone services. In fact, the technology is often referred to as an international calling service although it is just as likely to be used for local calls as it is cheap for international calls.
While it's been referred to as IP telephony and VoBB (voice over broadband) the most commonly used term is voice over IP (VoIP). The FCC definition of VoIP states that it "converts your voice to a digital signal that travels over the internet." That means that your call travels primarily over the internet, not over telephone lines. (Telephone gateways the call's origin and end points will still be required at though.)
What about that "flexibility?" Literally, voice over IP allows you to make calls from anywhere you can connect to the internet, even if it's wirelessly. Because the internet can be accessed from almost anywhere, you can take your phone with you when you travel and use it just as if you were back at home or in your office. And if you don't like the idea of using your phone, you could simply use VoIP on your laptop to make calls. Of course you will need to have speakers and a microphone on your laptop!
These days our regular phones come equipped with a wide variety of attractive features. Most voice over IP companies will also give these features but without the added costs that your traditional phone company charges you. So there's a good chance you'll still have access to repeat dialing, caller ID and call waiting. Most VoIP companies will provide call forwarding to voice mail for a small fee. As you shop for your VoIP provider, make certain you understand what services are included in the base price and which you have to pay extra for.
There are 3 ways that you can use VoIP. You can access your computer to make any kind of call that you can think of (including international calls), an IP phone or your regular phone outfitted with an adapter. Here's how each one works.
If using a regular phone you will need to analog telephone adaptor (ATA) to make a voice over IP call. You then will be able to convert the analog signal into a digital one by using the adaptor to connect your phone to the computer. It's incredibly easy to install and use and it's the most common way people today are using voice over IP services.
If you see an IP phone chances are you won't even know it it looks almost identical to a standard business phone but with a different connector. Rather than using the standard RJ-11 connection to IP phone uses an Ethernet connector. It has everything needed to handle a VoIP call by connecting to your router. (By the way, you can make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi spot if you have a Wi-Fi phone.) Just make sure that your computer has the necessary software (most of them come pre-loaded when you buy it) you're off to the races. One thing to note, is that a nearly internet connection (DSL or a cable modem) is always the ' best case scenario'. You'll have a bad caller experience on a slower connection.
Now here's where the price advantages come in. Whether you're using it as an international calling service or simply calling across town, voice over IP skirts around traditional phone companies and eliminates or greatly reduces their charges. Since voice over IP calls are routed primarily over the internet, you are not charged for the distance between you and the person you are calling. Instead, you simply pay pennies for the access between the internet and the local phone network both at the point where your call originates and at its destination.
If you use the computer-to-computer VoIP approach, you do not of pay anything above your regular monthly ISP fee. And you're paying that anyway so your call is free. And if you're a regular user, you'll find it quite convenient to have your phone and computer integrated.
You therefore pay nothing when you place your call on your computer and use a free internet messaging system. Or if the number that you've placed the call to uses a free internet messaging system. And this is how VoIP gained its reputation as the leading way to make a cheap long distance call. It's incredibly cheap (or free) to make a call anywhere in the world.
The different voice over IP services have different rate sheets according to their own standards. There will be cases where subscribers to the same service providers can contact each other for free. In other cases, the charges work similar to regular long distance land line users, but much less expensively. And often times your VoIP service will charge you a fee for a flat set number of minutes. But overall your jaw will probably drop when you see how inexpensive most of these providers are. The majority of the VoIP services rate have sheets and price calculators built into their websites quickly enabling you to see what kind of Fées you'll be paying.
If you're looking to make cheap international calls or lower the cost of your monthly phone bill, voice over IP technology - VoIP - is the solution. If you need to more answers about switching over to a VoIP service, go to http://buzport.com/get-started.
Source:Voip
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