Free Telephone Service. What Non-geeks Need To Know About Voip
VOiP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) telephone service is not just for geeks anymore. This technology has matured to the point that it looks like, acts like, and in some instances outperforms, traditional land line connections. What that means is the non-geek consumer (that’s most of us) will not be able to tell the difference between the phone that is transmitting over a land line or a phone transmitting over broadband. To the user, these are simply phones.
However, the non-geek user will easily identify the difference when the monthly phone bill rolls in. Compared to land line service, VOiP is dirt cheap. There’s a reason for this. Typically VOiP telephone service is offered by your high speed internet provider (cable DSL etc). That internet connection that they put in your house and that you hooked up to your computer is the equivalent of the lines and telephone poles a land line company uses.
The internet provider is already charging you for the expensive part, the connection. All they have to do to create a new revenue stream is offer phone service and hook up a $40 router in your house. Presto, huge margins for the internet provider and cheaper phone bills for the consumer.
Still all VOiP is not created equal. If you are currently using a landline service and you have a high speed internet connection then the decision to change is pretty much a no brainer. You will save hundreds of dollars each year. But before you race off to your cable company, shop around and make sure you can get these features:
Keep Your Same Phone Number
All services should be able to do this but some may charge extra or it may take up to a month to “port” to the system. If you are not in love with your number then you’ll get a new one that you can use right away.
Get 911 service
Because you are not connected to land lines that tell 911 operators where you are calling from, your VOiP provider has to register your address with the E911 service. This service is not available throughout all the country so you need to see if that affects you.
Multiple Lines
If you have more than one line coming into your house today, make sure your VOiP provider can accommodate that with their single inbound internet line.
Standard Features
Almost all packages will include caller ID, call forwarding, Voice Mail, and call holding. Some may want to charge extra so insure you know what you’re getting with your package.
At the end of the day the idea is to replace an expensive service with a less expensive service and not be able to notice the difference except in your wallet.
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