The VoIP Craze: A Technical Trend or the Next Big Wave?
It is almost impossible by now not to have heard or noticed that new buzz-word being thrown around today on the web and TV. Whether it is was a commercial from Verizon or Comcast or a spam email claiming to lower your phone bills, I’m sure one of the big players have managed to get you wondering what exactly this new service is with the funny name; VoIP.
Well here it is, explained in a nutshell. For starters, let me explain to you what the acronym VoIP actually stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol or Voice-Over-IP for short. VoIP is a revolutionary way to transmit our voices using traditional telephone equipment, or so we think. Let's break down this acronym even more so we can fully understand what is actually going on.
Voice – The voices on either end of a telephone conversation
Over – The act of being transmitted from one place to another
IP (Internet Protocol) – The back end stuff that makes the internet work
So in short, VoIP means to make a phone call where the call itself is being transmitted partly or fully over the internet and not over the traditional phone company equipment.
With the proliferation of broadband internet connections all over the globe, we are now able to utilize the extra, unused bandwidth within our internet connections for things other than just surfing the web. One of these new benefits is telephone calls. Phone calling over the internet had not been a service worth trying out in the past because only a few people had the ability to receive broadband internet at their home or office at an affordable rate. And since you need to have a broadband connection to make this work, it never really took off. But in the past few years, Cable and DSL internet have become not only affordable but available just about anywhere. And because the key to making the VoIP service work is a broadband connection, this is now becoming more of a reality. VoIP is no longer just limited to tech savvy or deep pocket customers.
To receive this VoIP service, you need to simply sign up with a VoIP provider such as Vonage, Optimum Voice, Comcast Voice or even Verizon, and they will send you a neat little box called a phone adapter for you to hook up to your broadband connection. This phone adapter looks like a regular old computer device such as a router or a modem, yet it has a couple of phone ports on the back that you plug your regular old phone into. And don’t worry, hooking it up is easy; it is just like adding another computer to your existing home or office network. Once connected to your home or office network, the VoIP provider will activate this phone adapter on their systems and those phone ports on the back of the device will magically get a dial tone. That’s all you need to do to start making phone calls.
What are your immediate benefits?
First, there is a big cost savings. Since the VoIP providers have much less overhead than the tradition phone provider such as Verizon, they are able to offer really low rates. Rates that are similar to cell phone plans that include unlimited minutes and free long distance in the US and Canada.
Second, you are not forced to use the one and only traditional phone provider that has complete control over your area. You now have a handful of providers that you can go with, all of which have good service and good calling plans. The direct result of that type of competition is a better product for the customer.
Third, you can keep your existing number that you have had for all those years and transfer it over to your new VoIP providers, eliminating the need to let everyone in the world know that your phone number changed.
And lastly, and probably the coolest benefit of having a VoIP telephone number, is the ability to take that number with you all over the world. If you remember, that number that you either transferred over or received brand new from your VoIP provider is assigned directly to a particular phone adapter and not just to a house or building. That phone adapter doesn’t care what internet connection it is plugged into, just as long as it has an internet connection to talk to its provider. This means that you can take your phone adapter, that is programmed with your phone number, and take it with you anywhere in the world. Just plug it into a broadband internet connection and voila, you have dial tone for that same number! So if you have a son or daughter that is going away to school overseas and you don’t want to be limited when you can talk to each other based on your expensive Verizon dialing plan, just give your child a phone adapter with a local phone number and talk whenever you want.
So what is the catch? There are only a few catches that I can think of, which are not really deal breakers at all if you ask me.
First off, since the phone calls are being routed over the public internet and not the phone company’s equipment, the quality of the call can be at times a little choppy, have some static or even an echo. The calls are basically the equivalent to the quality of a cell phone call.
Second, if your internet goes down or the power goes out, you lose your ability to use your VoIP phone adapter. Once the power or internet is restored, you can start making calls again.
Finally, if you are thinking of getting VoIP service for your business, it might not be the best choice of phone service. Since the phone is so vital to a business, downtime might cost you more money than you will actually save with this service. And the perception that your customers may have of your business when they hear choppy or poor voice quality might also wind up costing you a sale and ultimately, money.
But for your home or home office, this may be the perfect solution for you. The pros might outweigh the cons making it worth the cost savings? I think it is safe to say that most everyone has a cell phone to use as a back if you do have an emergency and the internet or power is not working. The chances of finding a cell phone to temporarily use are pretty good.
So where do you go next? Who can you call to get some ideas of calling plans and prices for a VoIP phone line? Here is a list of some major players in the VoIP industry for you to look at. They all have their plusses and minuses so the best way to approach this is to read each of their websites thoroughly and to call each respective sales department to get all of your questions answered. Once you are able to make an informed decision, choose the best provider to fit your needs.
Vonage
Packet8
SunRocket
https://www.sunrocket.com/ Jaydien Network Solution
Email Us: info@jaydien.com
Call Us: 877.561.6734
35 Beaverson Blvd, Suite 3A
Brick, NJ 08723
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