VoIP Information

The telephone has evolved considerably since the days of wooden earpieces and speaker boxes.  Countless technical innovations have made telephone calls increasingly cheap and convenient over the years, and today the industry is poised to undergo its greatest revolution yet: the transition to Voice Over Internet Protocol, or now better known as VoIP. As increasing numbers of homeowners invest in blazing broadband and cell phones become standard tools of communication, it only stands to reason that home VoIP telephony would eventually go the way of the Internet.

What is VoIP?  The simple answer is that VoIP is any telephone service that uses the Internet's pipelines (cable or DSL Internet) to transmit calls in real time.  Instead of using phone wires, your voice data is broken up into a series of discrete packets that are reassembled into continuous speech on the other end of the line.  The experience of calling is essentially identical to a traditional phone call, but the technology underlying that transmission is far more advanced.

The advantages of VoIP can be astonishing in their scope.  Although some users prefer computer-tethered services such as Skype, VOIP companies offer hardware that allows you to attach your phone directly to any broadband modem.  Take the adapter just about anywhere, plug it into a high-speed router, and it becomes your home phone – you are literally a local call away from friends and family. With VoIP service, most plans also include free calling to the US and Canada. Add to this the outstanding international long distance rates of many VoIP providers and it's no wonder industry watchers predict a sea change in the coming years.

Another great benefit of VoIP service is the number of features included in the already low price. With a typical landline, you can spend $15-30 a month just to get features like caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, and call forwarding. With VoIP service these features and others are already included in the price. You can even get features like voicemail to email, where your voicemail appears as an email message with a sound file attached.

VoIP is perfect for anyone who tends to rack up exorbitant long distance bills each month.  A growing number of business owners are choosing VoIP as well for the wide array of toll-free and feature-rich services that come with the best programs.  If you have a broadband connection and want to save money with a single flat phone bill, it may be time to look into some of the finest VoIP providers on the Web.