Home
>
VOIP
>
Should You ,VoIP?

Should You ,VoIP?

My friend in Florida, Samuel, called me last week and immediately I noticed a difference in the sound quality compared to our usual conversations. At first, I dismissed it, thinking he was calling me from his cell phone. Five minutes into the conversation when the call suddenly dropped off I "knew" for sure he was calling on his cell. Until he called me back from his cell that is. It turned out that Samuel was using his regular home phone, but when he told me that he had a VoIP account that was all I needed to know.

What is VoIP? VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol which is a method for you to talk with someone via your broadband internet connection, cable or DSL. Your voice is translated into data and sent over the same connection used for your computer. VoIP has become popular because you can talk to people for just a few cents per minute...worldwide! In fact, in a recent ad I saw that one of the leading providers of this service is offering free calls to Canada and charging just 3 cents per minute for calls to Hong Kong and 6 cents per minute for calls to Copenhagen. People who frequently call international destinations love VoIP. Heck, at prices one-tenth the amount or less of conventional long distance rates VoIP does have a strong appeal for consumers.

Overall, plans seem to start at around ten dollars per month and increase to around forty dollars monthly depending on offerings selected. Many VoIP plans give plenty of "extras" as part of the package including:

Call Forwarding

Call Waiting

Caller ID with the name

Repeat Dialing

3-Way Calling

Voicemail

Call Blocking

911 Accessibility

I have seen plans that also offer widespread 411 accessibility, fax service, and virtual phone numbers which allow users to select phone numbers outside of their area code.

There are big drawbacks to VoIP and I learned what one of them was when I was talking with my friend in Florida: a power failure will mean that your phone will not work. My friend lives in an area of frequent lighting strikes and occasional power failures so each time there is an interruption he has to wait for power to be restored before he can call out from his home phone. Fortunately, he keeps his cell phone charged, but he does have to pay for most calls made on his cell. In some areas the savings from a VoIP account will be offset by cell phone usage.

911 calls also can be difficult to place; you may need to dial a lengthy ten digit number to the police, fire, or ambulance station instead costing you valuable time in an emergency. Some providers are working hard to overcome the problem, but it hasn't quite been done away completely.

In all, VoIP usage continues to grow and it will probably become an important way for many to place calls, particularly internationally. You can't stop power outages and 911 issues remain, so weigh your options carefully before making the move over to Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

bathroom cleaning service Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

The Omoway Omo X features a modular design, obstacle detection and emergency braking, and can drive itself to charging stations, signaling the future of smart urban mobility.

PillTrek, a tiny wireless smart capsule created by Caltech, provides real-time gut health data by detecting electrolytes, metabolites, glucose, hormones, pH levels and temperature.

Learn to spot fake bank text messages with five warning signs of Chase phishing scams, including suspicious links and urgent deadlines designed to steal your account information.

Robot coyotes built on motorized cars reaching 20 mph are being deployed at military airfields as an innovative solution to wildlife threats to aircraft safety.

Explore Google Drive's strengths and weaknesses as a backup solution, including its encryption security, privacy concerns and comparison to dedicated backup tools.

As environmental challenges grow, underwater habitats gain momentum with DEEP's Vanguard, supporting short missions and Sentinel designed for 28-day stays at depth.

The new Urban Eyes safety vest features dual cameras, reflective panels and a wireless remote to deter harassers and provide peace of mind for outdoor workouts.

The $200 billion data broker industry tracks your personal details across websites, posing privacy risks that can be mitigated through data removal services.

UCC Holding has teamed up with COBOD to create desert-inspired, 3D-printed schools in Qatar, featuring dune-like wavy walls impossible with conventional construction.

Darkling beetles equipped with microchip backpacks can be guided through disaster areas using electrical signals, offering a biological solution for search and rescue.

Scammers use number porting to take control of outdated landlines still connected to financial accounts, bypassing two-factor authentication to steal funds while avoiding detection.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey developed Bitchat, a privacy-focused messaging app that works offline via Bluetooth without requiring email, phone numbers or personal data.

Google is making a push to ensure its AI, Gemini, is tightly integrated with Android systems by granting it access to core apps like WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone.

A new green energy system is set to change how we capture clean power, and it all starts with the ocean. French startup Seaturns has designed technology that taps into the natural motion of the sea.

Cybersecurity researchers are warning that hackers have started exploiting flaws in chatbots to carry out AI phishing attacks.

Google has just made it easier than ever to regain control of your inbox with Gmail's new Manage Subscriptions tool.

Despite the benefits, residential power saver programs come with several potential drawbacks and concerns that have been raised by both customers and experts.

The Blackdot AI tattoo machine is quiet. It's steady. And according to early users, it hurts a lot less.

Attackers have started to exploit the very signals that users assume will keep them safe when it comes to add-ons to improve productivity or entertainment.

Located on Cerro Pachón in Chile, the world's most powerful digital camera is set to transform how we see the universe.

The innovative DQ Tower stands 28 feet tall with 420 square feet of living space, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and premium amenities in a prefabricated design.

A new mmWave imaging system allows warehouse robots to scan and create 3D models of objects inside sealed containers, potentially revolutionizing shipping processes.

Family fraud endangers seniors when relatives exploit their trust, but removing personal data online and monitoring identity can prevent financial harm to aging parents.

A study analyzing 500,000 customer service interactions shows chatbots struggle with complex issues while human agents excel at matching customer communication styles.

Aigen's Element robot uses solar power and AI to provide farmers with a sustainable alternative to herbicides, working efficiently in cotton and soy fields.

Should You ,VoIP?

VOIP