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It seems like everywhere you go these days, people are talking about the VOIP phone service they got and how much they like it. Many college students do not even have a regular telephone in their dorm room or apartment, but instead they opt for VOIP phone services. What is all the hubbub? Did you ever feel like you were missing something and did not know what it was? VOIP might be a good thing for you but you need to be sure you understand what it is and what it is not. VOIP phone service has disadvantages that you need to be aware of so you can decide if VOIP is for you. VOIP phone service uses your existing high-speed Internet connection and allows you to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. That is the entire bottom line summary of what VOIP is. But you need to dig under the surface a bit in order to determine if VOIP is right for you. The first thing to consider is whether or not you can get a LOCAL phone number. In the more rural parts of the country, you may not be able to get a local number, and VOIP service may not be right for you if, for example, your next door neighbor needs to make a long distance call to reach your phone. Yes, you can "port" your existing phone number to your new VOIP service, but there have been so many horror stories about how the phone companies screws that up that I would not recommend that option. It SHOULD be simple, it should be seamless, but like many other things, the reality of what happens does not reflect the simplicity of doing it. You also need a high-speed Internet conection and this is not provided with the VOIP service from any of the VOIP providers. They assume you already have this. In most cases they are right as the price of home DSL and home cable Internet prices keep going down. But even if you already have high-speed Internet access, you should carefully consider the following two points: 1. When I say high-speed Internet connection, I am NOT referring to a satellite high-speed Internet connection. I do not recommend satellite for VOIP, and if you try it, I can almost guarantee that you will not be happy with your VOIP service. In most cases you will probably, in best case, sound like you are calling from the bottom of a bath tub. 2. Is your existing high-speed Internet connection reliable? Remember, when your high-speed Internet connection goes out, so does your VOIP service and you will not be able to make or receive any calls. If you are on DSL and your speed is very slow because you are at the end of their pipe, VOIP is going to likely be a problem there too. Assuming none of these disadvantages depict your situation, then you are probably in very good shape for great VOIP phone service. So why is VOIP better? The quality is at least as good and frequently better than regular phone service. The big reason that people are flocking to VOIP phone service is for the financial considerations. Basic phone service from the phone company costs about $25 per line per month, and that gives you only a line with dial tone, probably unlimited local calling. For the same price (or even less with some VOIP providers), you get unlimited calling locally, unlimited calling in the entire continental US (some also include Canada and/or Puerto Rico), you get voice mail, call waiting, and caller ID. Even if you do not make any long distance calls, the extra features alone that come with basic VOIP phone service are extra with your phone company. VOIP phone service may or may not be right for you, but once you have considered all the factors, it can save you a ton of money each month.
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Jon is a computer engineer with a wide variety of skills and expertise in many areas. To get more information about VOIP Phone Services, please visit his web site at www.voipinsideinfo.com
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