VoiceOver IP Phone Service
50The Basics of Voiceover IP
Voiceover IP (or VoIP) refers to the ability to make calls over the Internet and have either a computer or phone receive the call. What's the difference between VoIP and a regular landline phone? The latter uses the Packet Switching Network while the former uses the Circuit Switching Network.
Simply put, with voiceover IP, the data (voice) is transmitted over the Internet; with a conventional phone, voice is transmitted over electrical circuits. With packet switching, your voice is converted into data packets, and these data packets are then sent over the Internet. When the data packets arrive at their destination (another computer or landline phone), they are reassembled into audio. If you have a high speed Internet connection, the quality of your calls using voiceover IP is comparable to the quality of calls using a standard landline phone.
Do you use instant messaging (IM) programs like Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger? If you do, you probably are already aware that you can make calls using these IM programs. These IM programs use voiceover IP technology so you can call up someone on your friends list. PC to PC calls generally cost you nothing, no matter where you are calling to or from. And because VoIP is able to integrate different forms of telecommunication applications, you can even hook up a web cam or digital camera during a PC to PC call.
With VoIP, you can also call someone anywhere in the world on his home phone. Referred to as PC to Phone calls, you can initiate a call to any landline phone from your IM program. If you're calling a landline phone that's outside the US, there is a per-minute rate, but this rate is still considerably much lesser than if you were to use a phone card and make your call from a standard landline phone.
Voiceover IP isn't new technology; it's just that more and more people are realizing the many advantages of this technology. In fact, during the late 1990s, a number of programs sprung up online offering free VoIP technology. While most of these programs are no longer around today or if they still are, they are charging monthly fees, VoIP continues to be developed. As a matter of fact, a number of phone companies like Verizon and Sprint now offer monthly VoIP plans.
Today, you'll find no shortage of telephone service providers offering VoIP plans. Companies and phone users are discovering how beneficial it is to switch to voiceover IP. For telephone service companies, VoIP significantly costs less than a standard phone service, which means including VoIP plans in their offerings can help them gain new customers. For subscribers, many VoIP plans allow them to make virtually unlimited long distance calls at very low rates or even flat monthly rates.
Many voiceover IP service plans offered by phone service providers include features such as Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling, Call Block and Voice Mail for free. With traditional phone plans, these features cost additional. Furthermore, many providers offering VoIP plans allow subscribers to keep their existing phone number or allow them to choose a new area code. The ability to choose a new area code is what makes VoIP plans attractive for many. For example, you can choose an area code for the city or town where most of your family and friends live. This way, when they call you, they don't need to pay for long distance since the calls to you are local. Obviously, if you want to keep in constant touch with friends and family, VoIP can make that a reality.
