Reasons to Consider Home VOIP Phone Service


by Jon Arnold - Date: 2007-07-19 - Word Count: 718 Share This!

VOIP is a type of phone service that uses broadband Internet. It is an alternative to the conventional phone services, and is becoming increasingly popular. It offers a solution to paying exorbitant phone bills every month by charging one flat rate. The only thing that you need to purchase is highspeed Internet service.

Using a VOIP phone is no different than with a regular phone and it does not use too much of the speed from your internet service when you make a call, and when you hang up, your highspeed goes back to normal.

Within the past five years, there have been several different VOIP phone service providers that have begun operations that offer services that are significantly cheaper than the traditional method. More people have ordered the VOIP phone service than the traditional lines. However, as with anything, there are advantages and disadvantages to VOIP phone service.

One of the biggest advantages is that a VOIP phone will save you a lot of money on monthly phone charges.

A conventional phone company offers its customers local and long distance packages. This means that you can purchase long distance phone service either by the month or as an unlimited package. Although most of the time the service is adequate, the rate that you pay for unlimited long distance is outrageous. With VOIP, long distance is figured into your bill each month and it is still significantly cheaper than a basic plan using the traditional method.

When you are considering VOIP, it is necessary to do some research. There are many different companies who offer this service and all have different rates. If you choose to use your cable company to provide VOIP, check the rates very carefully as cable companies tend to have the highest rates for VOIP phones.

Vonage is a provider of VOIP phone service that has become increasingly popular and is chosen most often as a provider. It can be purchased in many different retail outlets however there is also a markup on your purchase using this method, and Vonage is probably not your most cost effective option.

If you make overseas calls, there are long distance plans that can be purchased for specific areas of the world. It is important that you ask your carrier if the region you want to call is included in your plan, or can be included at a higher cost.

When you purchase unlimited calling from your phone provider, it is not totally unlimited. Most phone providers flag clients when they use more than three or four thousand minutes per month. It is possible that you will receive a phone call from them questioning why you used so many minutes and they will ask if you are using your phone as a business phone. The rates for a business phone are significantly higher than residential.

The disadvantages to VOIP phone service are very few. Overall, it is becoming the most chosen form of phone service because it is very affordable. However, there are certain conditions that are not compatible with VOIP.

Broadband is required to optimize VOIP phones. DSL is great for Internet however because of it design and range, it may not be conducive to receiving a good enough signal for VOIP. For the same reason, satellites also have a few bugs to work out before it will work properly with VOIP phone service.

Another disadvantage to VOIP phone service is that if you lose your internet connection, you will also lose your telephone service. If you need a reliable phone service, you may want to consider your choices carefully.

If you run a business out of your home as many people do, it is important that you understand that VOIP phones cannot support a fax line. If you choose VOIP, you will need to have an additional phone line installed in your home dedicated solely to the fax machine. If this is not possible, you may want to research online fax companies.

Although broadband phone services can save you a lot of money on your calls, it is important that you research and understand all of your options and the terms of service before you make a decision. Research different companies and their rates to ensure that you are choosing the company that fits your needs the best.


Related Tags: voip phone service, voip, voip provider, voip phone, home voip

To get more insights and more information about VOIP Phone Service and to see a comparison and our expert picks, please visit our web site at http://www.voipinsideinfo.com

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