Broadband phones, also known as VOIPs, catch faster than ever. And no wonder, since the monthly cost of broadband phone service, including over long distances, is probably cheaper than what you pay the phone company for just a dial tone. Yes, of course, you need a high-speed Internet connection to which you connect your broadband phone, but for most homes it’s anyway, so this is just another service that requires a minimum speed and only uses it when you active conversation on this phone.
Yes, broadband phone service is extremely popular. In fact, about a year ago, the number of new telephone activations in the US that were broadband or VOIP phones exceeded the number of new traditional telephone services in history for the first time! Yes, there are advantages as well as some neat features offered by some (not all) broadband providers. But there are some drawbacks, so let's take a quick look at both corners.
Benefits
As mentioned earlier, broadband telephony is much cheaper than traditional telephony. Most broadband services include “unlimited” long-distance calls in the continental US, as well as locally. With traditional phones, you either pay a huge premium for unlimited functionality, or even with a long-distance discount, you still pay 2.5 to 3 cents per minute (or more) for long-distance calls.
There are many providers and companies offering broadband broadband Internet access, it seems that everyone wants to do this. But from what I have watched, the most expensive place to get it from your cable company! Yes, your cable company, the same who provides you with cable TV and, possibly, cable Internet service, as a rule, offers you a broadband telephone service almost twice that you can get elsewhere. Pays to be a knowledgeable buyer!
Yes, almost everyone has heard of Vonage, and this service can be purchased in places like Best Buy, Circuit City, even Walmart. But again, you pay about 20% more than you need, if you understand what else is available there.
For long distances, some broadband phone plans include Canada for unlimited calling, and some also include Puerto Rico. Some, such as Packet8, have separate plans that allow you to call to Europe and / or to Asia. Remember where you want to call and check if it is included in the carrier’s plan.
The word about the “unlimited” part is really not unlimited, at least not according to the definition of an unlimited number I read in my Funk & Wagnall. Most carriers allow from 3000 to 4000 minutes per month, then they can call you and ask you about such additional use, perhaps think that you are a business (higher rate) or use some kind of automatic redial (strict absence-no).
disadvantages
Remember that with broadband phone service, you make and receive calls over a high-speed Internet connection. You should have a GOOD connection, not on the DSL peripheral sites. And if all you can get is satellite Internet, then hang it up, because there will be no VOIP on the satellite at all.
Since you are using your Internet connection, it should be said that if your Internet connection is not working, your broadband phone will also work. That's right, so if you need a phone service and your internet connection is not reliable, you may need to think twice about the VOIP phone service.
Do you manage part of your business from your home? If so, is the fax part of it? Today, from virtually any operator on the planet, a fax is not reliably supported, it sends or receives via a broadband telephone connection. If fax is important to you, you need to have a telephone line from a telephone company that is designed for your fax machine, or to subscribe to one of the online fax services.
Broadband phone service can save you a package, but you need to understand your requirements for needs and requirements before choosing which carrier is best. This is more, MUCH more than that of different carriers with different prices. You need to look at the whole package to make sure that you get what you think, pay for.
