For the past ten years, the internet has played a huge role in everyone’s lives. From computer games to managing finances and new flourishing industries, the World Wide Web has been thriving in everyone’s eyes. Now that it has entered all of our homes, it has started to take over our phone lines as well. Of course this is no surprise, as internet phone calls have always been in the background. However, recently, VOIP (also known as Voice Over Internet Protocol) has finally caught thousands of people’s attention.

For those who don’t know, VOIP has become the latest way to connect with others. In simpler terms, it is a phone call that comes directly from an internet connection. It is not only going to be the future of the telephone industry, but it will attract thousands of consumers because it comes with a lot of different advantages. No matter how budget conscious you are, you will most likely love VOIP’s affordability. We all have experienced outrageous long distance fees and extravagant monthly bills. For this reason, many telephone subscribers feel that VOIP is a blessing in disguise, as the prices and fees are twice as low.

On the other hand, there are some downsides to this form of service. Unfortunately, businesses are going to have to deal with downtime and the possibility of a bad connection. After all, the internet always has occasional issues, and may require extra attention and additional fees. Nevertheless, as long as they give it a try for a few months, the benefits are usually overwhelming. Regardless of potential problems, large firms like IBM have embraced it with open arms.

In order to use VOIP, all you need is a VOIP program and a microphone. Surprisingly, many VOIP programs are free or very affordable to buy. With a pair of speakers and a phone number to dial, you are easily on your way to using VOIP. Due to the popularity of wireless internet, anyone can place a phone call, no matter where they are. It is a convenient alternative, especially if you are displeased with regular telephones. For this reason, there are already thousands of users becoming regular VOIP users. In the future, most homeowners will be a customer.

If you do not want to use this form of VOIP, there is another alternative. There are specialized VOIP phones that often come with video conferencing. This is a great product for any business that has long distance clients or other offices. Companies like IBM love the fact that they have a VOIP system, because it offers such affordability and convenience. No matter what type of package you are looking to get, VOIP offers it all. It is not only going to be a bargain for people who are dying to save money, but soon everyone will be using this new form of technology.

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Broadband phone service uses your broadband Internet connection to transmit voice signals via IP networks. This technology is commonly referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or IP Telephony. Broadband phone service converts voice signals to digital packets which are routed to their destination and reconverted at the receiving end.

Broadband phone service appears, to the user, to operate very much like the traditional telephone networks. You can use an ATA (analogue telephone adapter) that connects to a router or modem or an IP phone that connects directly to a router or modem. The difference is that with an ATA you can use your existing phones to connect to the network.

Once set up, you can use your broadband phone service to place or receive calls to or from anywhere in the world. One of the most attractive selling points of broadband phone service is the low cost of long distance and International calls. Many IP phones service providers include extra services such as call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID at no additional cost.

There are a few drawbacks that you need to be aware of if you are planning to switch to broadband phone service. You must, of course, have access to a high-speed Internet connection and if your Internet connection is down you lose your phone service until you get back on line. There are still some reliability and security issues but it’s likely that these will soon be addressed as consumer and business demand for broadband phone service increases.

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As more and more consumers learn about Voice over Internet Protocol phone services, they are trying to find a definitive answer to one burning question: Is this thing reliable enough to replace the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) they grew up with and have built their lives around?

There are, in fact, a great many positive reasons to switch from POTS to VoIP:

1. It’s cheaper. Way cheaper. From about $ 9.95 for the most basic service (still far better than POTS) to $ 39.95 for residential; business plans usually run from $ 49.95-to-$ 99.95 and include a separate fax number.

2. The free VoIP “modem” is shipped to you in 5 to 10 days; buy it at a store for same-day service and the VoIP firm will reimburse or credit it against your bill.

3. “Extra” services widely standard: VoiceMail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, 3-Way Conferencing, Call Forward, Repeat Dialing, Call Block, unlimited calling (local and LD) – in short, virtually every option ever offered – for an additional fee – by any POTS company.

4. No charge for incoming calls from anywhere, unlike US cellular providers; same for outgoing “local” calls (depending on plan; some use a cellular-style monthly minutes package).

5. With VoIP, “local” in North America almost always includes both the US and Canada; some also include Western Europe, parts of Asia and parts of Latin America. For those countries not included free, international plans are available for far less than standard LD companies. Or you can make occasional calls without a plan for far lower per-minute charges than most LD plans. This generally applies – more or less in reverse – for VoIP services in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, as well.

6. No computer needed, just plug a standard phone cable from the VoIP box to your regular desktop phone or portable base station.

7. Activate every phone jack in the house – just plug the VoIP modem into any existing wall jack, after first disconnecting your house’s internal phone wiring from the POTS world at the phone box outside, probably on your front wall. This option generally is not available to apartment dwellers. Sorry.

8. Virtual Phone Numbers: For a low price (usually about $ 5), you can have a phone number in almost any area code, so friends or family can dial a local number that rings on your phone. You can’t use it for outgoing calls because it isn’t a “real” line.

9. Low-cost 800 Numbers: Want to make it free for a lot of callers without bankrupting you? Most VoIP providers offer cheap 800 numbers – free to the caller, fixed monthly rate for you (varies, but roughly $ 5 for the first 100 minutes each month, then 4.5-cents or so per minute beyond that).

10. Find Me: Some include a system that, if you don’t answer, will call three or more other numbers you designate, in sequence or simultaneously, then go to voicemail if you still don’t answer.

11. And this is THE KICKER: Take your home or office “phone” with you when you travel. Just pack the VoIP modem in your suitcase; on arrival, plug it into any high-speed Internet connection (hotel room, friend or relative’s house, airport, whatever) and, bingo, you can place and, more importantly, receive calls made to your regular phone number. And that is true anywhere in the world (with charges based on your home location). Go to Bora Bora and someone calling your home or office number in Des Moines will never know you’re not in Iowa when you answer; call someone and your usual Caller ID shows.

For every ying, of course, there must be a yang – so now for the downside:

1. If you have a cable Internet connection, your downline is 2 to 10 times faster than your upline. As a result, you may hear the other person clear as a bell and they may not hear you at all. This will lead to them hanging up on you (they don’t know you’re there) or demanding you “get off the speaker” or “hang up your cell and call me from a real phone”. And those are the polite ones.

The VoIP companies insist 256K up should be more than enough for a clear signal; that does not appear to be the case in actual use. There are ways to overcome this, if you get a knowledgeable VoIP support tech.

2. High-speed connections vary in quality based on a host of factors, from how many other users are sharing that cable line to how far it is from the nearest DSL booster node. Which means day-to-day, even call-to-call, VoIP quality is going to vary, as well – sometimes to wild extremes.

3. When no one is speaking, there is a “dead” silence that makes most people, accustomed to the slight “buzz” of a POTS signal, think the connection has been broken. If you don’t want to hear a constant “are you still there?”, explain this to everyone at the start of any conversation.

4. If you try to “activate” a new credit card by calling via VoIP, the computer at the other end may insist you are not calling from your home phone. “Why?” is an as-yet unanswered question from the VoIP providers.

5. Never, ever, let anyone put you on silent hold. If your VoIP service doesn’t hear something on that line for several minutes (how many seems to vary), it may simply disconnect you, apparently on the theory your phone is actually off the hook.

6. If your up-line signal is not strong enough, your call won’t go through, leading to an annoyingly frequent “Your call cannot be completed at this time” recording.

7. Occasionally, your VoIP will just stop working. The fix varies slightly by provider, but basically involves a lot of unplugging and replugging of VoIP modem, router, cable/DSL connection, in a specific sequence provided by the VoIP company.

8. Last – and by far worst: If your Internet connection goes down for any reason, you have no phone service. Anyone depending entirely on VoIP is strongly encouraged to keep a cellphone handy (keeping in mind you can set VoIP up to automatically call your cell if you don’t answer the VoIP line).

Bottom line: Commercial VoIP is a real telephone service, unlike computer-based “messengers” or even Skype (which clearly states it is not telephony); marks against, include no video (yet) and a lot of bugs yet to resolve. Still, at a savings of $ 30 to $ 100 a month, these problems aren’t so severe you can’t learn to live with them. It’s a bigger issue for your office, but add a cellphone to the mix for back-up and you may soon join the growing number of consumers who have gone all-VoIP, with no intention of ever going to POTS again.

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There are many benefits and advantages to switching from PSTN- Public Switched Telephone Network. VoIP technology is growing and changing every day. Major corporations are transferring their business needs over to VoIP and households worldwide are making the switch. VoIP is produced by transferring voice into digital data over the Internet. Because the data is smaller compared to a standard electric unit, VoIP users save on valuable bandwidth as well. If you have a high-speed connection in your home, then you can utilize VoIP. You may need to purchase some equipment, such as a VoIP phone adapter. The phone adapter will allow you to use all of your telephones with the VoIP technology. You may also need to purchase a router. Most of your VoIP service providers will supply you with the hardware that you need. You even have the option of purchasing phones designed for VoIP as well as Videophones that will display images while you speak.

VoIP is the wave of the future. Many major computer companies have already begun to incorporate VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. Yahoo has also recently purchased the VoIP Company, Dial Pad. Now, Instant Messaging programs such as Yahoo, MSN, and AOL allow pc-pc phone calls. The world is making the switch to VoIP, but in case you are still unsure if VoIP is right for you, here are five benefits to adding VoIP to your home and business.

1. VoIP is Cost Efficient

Whether for your residence or business, VoIP is just plain cheaper then other telecommunication applications. You can reduce cost in your home by saving on long distance and local telephone calls. Many VoIP service providers have plans that allow unlimited local and long distance calling. You will have to check with various companies to see how far their unlimited local and long distance calling areas serve. You also save money by using VoIP throughout your house. You won’t need to install additional phone jacks and wires, you just add on to your VoIP system.

2. VoIP will Integrate your Audio, Data, and Video Applications.

VoIP systems can integrate your telephone needs with your computer applications such as E-mail, Fax, Web conferencing, and Video Phone needs. This saves money and energy by combining all of these services into one basic application. You can use your phone and access all of your other programs at the same time, allowing greater freedom and is a simpler way for the home owner to utilize all of these different products.

3. VoIP Provides Flexibility

VoIP allows users tremendous flexibility. For instance, many VoIP users can take their phone adapter with them, and use their telephone number anywhere they have access to an Internet connection. This includes traveling overseas, while staying in hotels, or even camping. If you have high speed Internet, you will be able to take phone calls on your regular number. This is a much better solution for those with active lifestyles compared to the expense of cell phones as well as being the perfect solution for mobile employees and those whose jobs require much travel.

4. VoIP Users Can Choose their Own Area Codes

VoIP providers allow users to choose their own area codes. This is a fantastic option for those whose friends and family all live in one particular location, and they are out of state. By choosing your family and friends area code, you are allowing them to call you, whenever they choose, and they will not have to pay long distance charges. Their calls will be local. Some providers extend the area codes to other countries. This would be extremely beneficial to someone whose friends and family are halfway across the world.

5. VoIP offers Features for Free

Features that typically cost extra with PSTN phone services are usually bundled with VoIP unlimited calling plans. These features include Voice Mail, Call Forwarding, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Return, Call Block, and Do Not Disturb. Because of the integration between VoIP and the Internet, many service providers will allow you to access and control all of your VoIP phone features through the Internet. With VoIP, users have greater access to control all of their phone features as well as save on charges.

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VoIP has lots of advantages over a regular phone service. However, like any emerging technology, there are still a few kinks in the system. However, as standards are developed it becomes more reliable and achieves greater acceptance. It is inevitable that VoIP will eventually replace traditional phone service ? in fact, phone companies are already taking advantage of the technology to offer cheaper long distance rates.

Advantages

One of the main advantages of VoIP is the low cost. If you have a fast Internet connection (DSL or cable) you can make PC-to-PC phone calls anywhere in the world for free. If you wish to make a PC-to-phone connection, however, there?s usually a charge for this but probably much cheaper than your regular phone service.

You can also sign up with a VoIP service provider which charges a monthly fee in return for unlimited calls within a certain geographic area. For example, some VoIP services in the United States allow you to call anywhere in North America at no extra charge. Overseas calls are charged at a relatively small rate.

Another advantage of VoIP is portability. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection simply by signing in to your VoIP account. This makes VoIP as convenient as e-mail ? if you are travelling, simply pack a headset or Internet phone and you can talk to your family or business associates for almost nothing.

Phone-to-phone VoIP is also portable. When you sign up with a VoIP service provider the Internet phone or adaptor that is used with that service is assigned a unique number. This ?phone number? remains valid even if your VoIP service is in Cleveland and you are connected to the Internet in Bangkok. An Internet phone is small and light enough to take with you anywhere. Simply plug it into a broadband connection anywhere in the world and you can make and receive calls just as though you were in your own home or office.

There are many other features that make VoIP attractive. Call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and three-way calling are some of the many services included with Internet telephone at no extra charge. You can also send data such as pictures and documents at the same time you are talking on the phone.

Disadvantages

With all this going for it, it?s a wonder that anybody still uses regular phone services. However, there are a few disadvantages to VoIP. Continuous service during a power outage and emergency calls are two of the biggest problems.

During a blackout a regular phone is kept in service by the current supplied through the phone line. This is not possible with Internet phones, so when the power goes out, there is no VoIP phone service. One solution to this problem is to use battery backups or power generators to provide electricity.

Another major concern involves emergency 911 calls. Traditional phone equipment can trace your location. Emergency calls are diverted to the nearest call center where the operator can see your location in case you can?t talk. With VoIP, however, their is currently no way to determine where your Internet phone call is originating from, so most VoIP services cannot be used for emergency calls. There is an emerging standard called e911, however, which attempts to address this issue.

VoIP also has problems with sound quality and reliability. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination in a scrambled order. This is not a problem for e-mail or documents because the data can be reassembled in the correct order once it has all arrived.

Voice data can also arrive in a scrambled order but this is more of a problem because of the real-time nature of VoIP. In order to make voice connections with the least amount of delay, some packets may have to be dropped if they don?t arrive in time. This can cause short periods of silence in the audio stream.

The amount of data that is lost depends on the distance and speed of the connection. Some networks receive a lot of traffic and are more likely to cause dropouts in the audio stream. Creating dedicated data paths is one way to provide high quality audio connections.

All these disadvantages will be overcome in time. There is a tremendous amount of work being done to increase the reliability and usefulness of VoIP. By 2007 most of the kinks will be worked out and VoIP will receive widespread consumer acceptance.

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VoIP has slowly made its way into the US mainstream. Currently more than 50% of Americans have or know about VoIP services (Most just know about it.). This is surprising, when only about 17% currently have broadband high speed internet. Some of those who have heard of VoIP did so from a high dollar marketing plan by one of the VoIP providers.

Why haven’t many people switched from their traditional phone service to the more affordable VoIP service?

Many have been cautious of the 911 service, which is still being implemented by some VoIP providers and all of them do not cover many remote areas in the US. Currently providers are working on getting the whole of the US covered. We’ve heard stories of individuals calling 911 but only to have the emergency team respond to a wrong address. This is normally the fault of the VoIP subscriber not reporting a move of residence to their carrier. Also many VoIP services are transient and when they travel, 911 services are still located at their home residence or business. You will find that a few companies are working on including a GPS system into their VoIP devices, which will allow 911 services to pinpoint the individual’s location. VoIP is still as reliable or better as a cell phone when it comes to 911 services.

Another concern of VoIP consumers is the loss of service when power goes out. This can be easily and somewhat inexpensively overcome by purchasing a battery back-up unit for your VoIP system. This not only will support your VoIP service during a power outage but will also prevent you from losing any work you may be doing on your PC.

Quality of calls once was a major issue for subscribers, but now has become less of a concern due new upgrades by providers and better informed users about their set-ups. When you compare VoIP with cellular services, VoIP will nearly always have a much better quality and is comparable to traditional phone service quality or in many cases surpasses it.

The truth with VoIP is that it is a great way to save over traditional phone costs. It may require a bit more attention than your old phone service, but the money it puts back into your pocket is worth it.

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The fact that the Internet opened up a whole new world of communication options has not been lost on those providing telephone service – or on those who spend lots of money on voice communication. The ever-changing technology and emerging market for more cost-effective and better communication is creating a demand for people who can create, design and install VoIP systems. There’s also a growing market for those who can repair and maintain those systems.

So what’s so great about VoIP and Internet telephone systems? Cost is probably one of the biggest benefits touted by the companies providing the services and one of the biggest reasons so many people are ready to try the market. With VoIP and Internet telephone options, there’s no cost for long-distance calls – even to foreign countries which is typically very expensive for those companies that make those kinds of calls. Think it’s impossible that someone would offer unlimited long-distance for nothing? You actually already have that option already in the form of email and chat. All you need is a microphone for instant voice communication in a chat room, and that form of communication is free with your paid Internet connection.

VoIP and Internet telephone systems just take that to the next level through a voice communication system that allows faster and clearer streaming than through a traditional Internet computer connection.

So if it’s so great, why isn’t everyone using VoIP and Internet telephone service? There are some drawbacks. The first and most important is availability. Though this is improving, you may not be able to connect to your VoIP or Internet telephone connection from just anywhere you happen to be. For busy company officials and even individuals, this is a serious lack that makes the system less attractive.

Another drawback comes in the form of emergency calls. According to some sources, the VoIP systems are seriously inadequate in emergency situations. Because of limited availability of services, it’s very possible that users may not have the ability to make calls at all. Even if calls are possible, the systems are sometimes not sending signals to the nearest towers, meaning you may not be contacting the most local emergency response teams. It’s also sometimes difficult for those emergency personnel to target your location. All these problems will likely be dealt with over time, but they’re still concerns to some people now who rely on cell phones for emergencies and are reluctant to take the chance that their VoIP or Internet telephones will work in emergency situations.

The legalities almost always become an issue and VoIP is no exception. Because this type of communication has the potential to have a major impact on the communication industry, there’s little doubt that it’ll eventually be regulated as telephone companies are regulated. This is of significant concern to those municipalities that provide telephone service and depend on the revenue from that service as income.

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Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) is changing the way that the average consumer makes long distance phone calls. The technology is rapidly advancing because companies all over the world are now competing to be your VOIP provider. However, there are still some disadvantages of VOIP – especially when it comes to using the technology for functions beyond the one caller to one caller scenario.

The disadvantages of VOIP can be annoying, but are relatively limited for the consumer. The main complaints regarding VOIP have to do with providing the level of quality of service that customers are accustomed to with regular telephone technology. The reason for this is multifold. VOIP requires a large amount of data to be compressed and transmitted, then uncompressed and delivered, all in a relatively small amount of time. Problems develop in VOIP conversations when this process takes too long and the callers experience one of two problems; echo or over-talk.

Standard phone calls function with a delay of no more than 10 milliseconds. But one major disadvantage of VOIP is that there have been delays of up to 400 milliseconds, meaning that the callers won’t hear each other fast enough to make the conversation flow easily. They will either hear themselves talking or they will start talking again before they have heard the other person respond. Although these problems won’t necessarily happen every time a call is made, it can happen often enough to be annoying.

The disadvantages of VOIP are usually tolerable if the callers are using a free service and the calls are for individual, personal communication. But once a network of users, such as a business, wants to use VOIP, the problems become a little more complicated. Part of the reason is that most networks have a firewall; and most firewalls don’t know how to route a VOIP call once it is received – which phone does it go to?

Plus, multiple users create a problem when judging what amount of bandwidth can be and should be used at any time. If multiple users need to make VOIP calls, it can be difficult for the company to know exactly how much bandwidth to provide – especially if internet access, video conferencing or other data transmission services are using the same path.

Overall, the disadvantages of VOIP aren’t significant enough to dissuade the average consumer from using the technology; especially with the fact that they know that the calls they are making are free. But we can rest assured that the technology will only get more reliable as time goes by.

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Before signing up to a VoIP provider you need to do your homework. Sure you learn what VoIP is about and you research which provider will be the best for you, but don’t make the vital error of not considering your current fixed line circumstance.

First and foremost is the matter of whether the fixed line is going to be retained. In most cases it probably will be as either an backup in for emergency circumstances or where the fixed line may be cheaper for certain calls, especially if utilizing either VoipStunt or Skype which clearly point out they do not nor intend to provide emergency calling access.

In certain countries you need to retain the fixed line for your broadband service so this must be factored into the overall cost comparison of a fixed line service versus a VoIP service or combination there of.

A further complication occurs where bundling occurs. That is discounts if local calls, national or long distance calls and broadband service are all combined with the one provider. In the case of one provider you will pay $ 29.95 line rental, $ 49 which allows a cap of $ 120 of local, long distance and mobile phone calls, and $ 39 for broadband internet access totaling about $ 118 a month. For someone on this providers bundle wishing to take up VoIP, you would remove the $ 49 for calls, retain the line rental to provide broadband access and because the bundle is removed (no local or long distance calls retained) the cost of the broadband service increases by $ 20 to $ 59.

It is clear from the above example that you would need to be making significant calls at very low VoIP rates to make the change or VoIP addition worthwhile as there would only be $ 29 to absorb monthly VoIP provider costs.

The other alternative however in this case is to get a cheaper broadband internet service which then provides more scope to cash in on accessing telephone calls over the internet and over all reducing communications costs.

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There are many benefits and advantages to switching from PSTN- Public Switched Telephone Network. VoIP technology is growing and changing every day. Major corporations are transferring their business needs over to VoIP and households worldwide are making the switch. VoIP is produced by transferring voice into digital data over the Internet. Because the data is smaller compared to a standard electric unit, VoIP users save on valuable bandwidth as well. If you have a high-speed connection in your home, then you can utilize VoIP. You may need to purchase some equipment, such as a VoIP phone adapter. The phone adapter will allow you to use all of your telephones with the VoIP technology. You may also need to purchase a router. Most of your VoIP service providers will supply you with the hardware that you need. You even have the option of purchasing phones designed for VoIP as well as Videophones that will display images while you speak. VoIP is the wave of the future. Many major computer companies have already begun to incorporate VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. Yahoo has also recently purchased the VoIP Company, Dial Pad. Now, Instant Messaging programs such as Yahoo, MSN, and AOL allow pc-pc phone calls. The world is making the switch to VoIP, but in case you are still unsure if VoIP is right for you, here are five benefits to adding VoIP to your home and business.

VoIP is Cost Efficient

Whether for your residence or business, VoIP is just plain cheaper then other telecommunication applications. You can reduce cost in your home by saving on long distance and local telephone calls. Many VoIP service providers have plans that allow unlimited local and long distance calling. You will have to check with various companies to see how far their unlimited local and long distance calling areas serve. You also save money by using VoIP throughout your house. You won”t need to install additional phone jacks and wires, you just add on to your VoIP system.

VoIP will Integrate your Audio, Data, and Video Applications

VoIP systems can integrate your telephone needs with your computer applications such as E-mail, Fax, Web conferencing, and Video Phone needs. This saves money and energy by combining all of these services into one basic application. You can use your phone and access all of your other programs at the same time, allowing greater freedom and is a simpler way for the home owner to utilize all of these different products.

VoIP Provides Flexibility

VoIP allows users tremendous flexibility. For instance, many VoIP users can take their phone adapter with them, and use their telephone number anywhere they have access to an Internet connection. This includes traveling overseas, while staying in hotels, or even camping. If you have high speed Internet, you will be able to take phone calls on your regular number. This is a much better solution for those with active lifestyles compared to the expense of cell phones as well as being the perfect solution for mobile employees and those whose jobs require much travel.

VoIP Users Can Choose their Own Area Codes

VoIP providers allow users to choose their own area codes. This is a fantastic option for those whose friends and family all live in one particular location, and they are out of state. By choosing your family and friend’’s area code, you are allowing them to call you, whenever they choose, and they will not have to pay long distance charges. Their calls will be local. Some providers extend the area codes to other countries. This would be extremely beneficial to someone whose friends and family are halfway across the world.

VoIP offers Features for Free

Features that typically cost extra with PSTN phone services are usually bundled with VoIP unlimited calling plans. These features include Voice Mail, Call Forwarding, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Return, Call Block, and Do Not Disturb. Because of the integration between VoIP and the Internet, many service providers will allow you to access and control all of your VoIP phone features through the Internet. With VoIP, users have greater access to control all of their phone features as well as save on charges.

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