VoIP Service
Why Switch to VoIP?
- Highly functional way of making and receiving calls over your broadband connection.
- Unlimited Calling to USA and Canada (and a few other countries, depending on which service you choose to go with).
- International calls are in general significantly cheaper when you call using a VoIP system.
- Starts from $8.33 / month, compared to $60 / month for unlimited minutes.
| Service | Phone Power | Nextiva | Vonage | RingCentral | VoIP |
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| Summary | Cheapest Service | Good for Businesses | Most Popular | + Fax Features | Good Offer |
| Plan Reviewed | Freedom 24 Month | Unlimited Annual | Vonage World | Business Plus | Unlimited Yearly |
| Minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 500 Minutes | Unlimited |
| Countries | USA & Canada + 60 Minutes Free International | USA & Canada | Over 60 Countries | USA & Canada | USA, Canada, Puerto Rico |
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| Phone Support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Our Review |
Cheapest VoIP unlimited calling plan for residential and small businesses. Offers 1 year free for new customers. Full Review |
Best for small businesses that have anywhere from 1 to 10 employees. Top rated service w/ competitive features. Full Review |
Offers top international calling rates - best if you plan to call out of the country frequently. Full Review |
Provides a mixture of features for one price. Also includes faxing, voicemail, and email services. Full Review |
Unlimited calling in US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Offers first month free for new customers. Full Review |
| Activation Fee | None (+S/H) | None (+S/H) | Free (if waived) | None | $13.53 |
| Price |
$8.33/mo
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$16.25/mo
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$24.99/mo
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$24.99/mo
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$16.95/mo
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Why Does VoIP Cost Less than Other Telephone Services?
VoIP software utilizes the high speed data streaming of DSL and cable Internet connections to send and receive audio data instantaneously so that you can talk to someone just as you would with a standard analogue phone service. The key factor in this alternative way of transmitting data is that you can ‘piggyback’ your telephone service on to your existing Internet connection, and this means you will not have to pay out for additional line rental, and you will only be charged by your VoIP provider for actual calls. Transferring data over the Internet is much more cost effective than using the old analogue networks that need a lot of maintenance, so VoIP providers can pass these savings on to the customer.
How Does VoIP Work?
VoIP is actually a very simple system to set up in your home, and as long as you have a high speed DSL or cable connection already up and running, all you will need is an adapter (provided by your VoIP supplier), which will connect your standard telephone handset to your modem. If your modem does not have any spare ports through which to connect your telephone then you may need to request a special router/adapter combined, which you can then replace your old modem with and plug your telephone into. Once you have signed up to a VoIP account and have received your adaptor then all you need to do is plug it into your modem and it will automatically connect to your account and install any VoIP software you need. This will only take a few moments and then you will be able to start making and receiving calls to your new home VoIP account straight away.
Wireless VoIP
There are also several options for wireless VoIP if you are using WiFi from your home computer or laptop. If you travel a lot then a software phone can be installed on both laptops and other mobile devices such as PDAs to enable you to access your VoIP account, and then all you will need is a Bluetooth headset to actually make the calls. If you want to use wireless VoIP at home then you can get special WiFi based telephones that look a bit like cell phones, but they use a wireless connection to access your online VoIP account so that you can send and receive calls.
Choosing a VoIP Provider
There are a number of VoIP providers offering competitive price plans, and to choose the best VoIP service that suit your needs, you should consider a few essential factors:
Types of Calls – if you only make calls to local and national numbers, then you can save a lot of money by selecting one of the basic unlimited VoIP packages, which can offer you with unlimited calls within your own country. However if you want to call international numbers as well, you will need to do a bit more research, as overseas call tariffs can vary across the providers, and it might be better to get one of the more expensive price plans that has cheaper international call tariffs, as this will most likely be most cost effective for you in the long run.
Internet Connection – if you already have broadband in place, then it does not cost much more to add a VoIP Internet phone to your current set up, however if you are still using the old style analogue system to connect to the Internet, then you will need to upgrade before you can use a VoIP internet phone. In this case you would need to upgrade to wireless Internet before you can use VoIP, so you must take into account all of the costs and implications in upgrading your Internet connection before you choose a VoIP service.
Quality of Service – not all providers offer the same level of service, so it is important that you check online and see how other customers have rated the service on VoIP review websites, as this will help you to judge how cost effective and useful the VoIP provider you are considering will be for you.
VoIP For Business
Internet services can also offer you with a low cost, highly functional VoIP solution for your business telephone system, and this can be a great way to cut office overheads. Business VoIP can offer a number of practical features that are not always available on standard analogue telephone packages such as:
No Contracts – many standard telephone services require you to sign up to a contract when you set up a new account, and this can tie you into one service for up to two years. This can make it difficult for you to cancel the service in the future if you no longer require it, or if you have been offered a better deal elsewhere. The benefit of many VoIP services is that they do not require you to sign a contract when setting up a new account, so you can cancel the service at any time without having any hassle or having to pay cancellation fees.
Three Way Calling – this is a very cost effective way of setting up a telephone style conference between three different locations, and as long as you are calling national numbers (or those on your designated country list) this service will be inclusive as part of your VoIP calling features and available at no extra charge.
Voicemail – voicemail is very important for businesses and provides you with a free answerphone service so that your clients and contacts can leave messages outside of business hours or if you are unavailable when they call.
Cascade Calling – if you have more than one line registered to your VoIP account, you can set up incoming calls so that they cascade to the next free line when one is busy. You can do this in a specific sequential order, randomly or set up all the lines to ring at once, and this means that you can just pick up the nearest phone to answer the call.
Call Forwarding – you can forward your incoming calls to other national numbers with your VoIP account and this will allow you to pick up calls when you are away on business, or working from home. Most VoIP providers allow you to have up to 6 registered call forwarding numbers on your account, but you must remember to update your address details when you are taking calls from another location as if you need to make an emergency call your details will be sent automatically by your VoIP service to the operator, so it is important to make sure these are correct and up to date.
Caller ID – this is another useful service that displays the number calling. This enables you to effectively screen your incoming calls, and if you are too busy or do not wish to answer particular calls at that moment, you can forward them straight to voicemail so that the caller can leave a message.
Customer Services
Another reason why many people are switching to VoIP is the excellent customer services offered. As well as providing 24/7 toll free telephone help-desks, many VoIP providers also offer a wealth of online support resources including detailed information about the products and services offered so that you can take your time researching VoIP and choosing a plan to suit your needs. Provider websites also offer helpful forums, FAQs and online searchable knowledge bases that can help you quickly and easily find answers to common queries, and also interact with other account holders online.
Summary
More and more people are switching to VoIP telephone systems as not only can these services provide a cost effective, money saving benefits over standard analogue telephone services, but they also provide a versatile, functional and practical solution to both residential and business communication. VoIP is easy to use for all skill levels and offers a high level of customer service. Many VoIP services also provide 30 to 60 day free trial offers so that you can try out the system before you commit yourself to switching over your services completely.