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VOIP Phone Services - A Quick Overview
by Fawn Rawson
http://www.frphone.com
While internet phone has been available for close to tenyears, it's only recently that technology has improved to the point where it's viable as a real alternative to traditional ground lines. In the past eight to ten months, there's been a veritable explosion of VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) services.
Those are just some of the advantages offered with Vonage VoIP phone service. VoIP - voice over IP - services are the latest wrinkle in the phone wars. They save you money by routing incoming calls to your telephone using your high speed internet connection.
In addition, all of them also offer a number of associated services like 'virtual' phone numbers that let you list a local phone in nearly any part of the country without the need to have a local line there. If your mother lives in Florida, for example, and you live in New York, for as little as $4.95 a month, you can have a virtual Florida number that she can use to call you - saving her long distance charges.
In addition, with the ability to keep your current phone number, known as local number portability, you may be able to keep one phone number for life. That same number portability opens other options for customers. Want a virtual phone number in Daytona Beach even though you live in Oregon? You can do it. Want to list a phone number with a local exchange in Dallas, Chicago and Seattle? It can be done.
Is VoIP reliable phone service? VoIP has been around as a low-cost way to make phone calls from your computer for a lot of years. In general, your VoIP service will work as long as a) your internet connection is up and running and b) your electrical service is on. It won't operate during a power outage, and losing your DSL or cable will also put your phone out of service. If your internet carrier goes down even occasionally, you'll want to keep regular phone service at least as a backup - or get an uninterruptable power supply.
Can I keep my phone number? Usually, the answer is yes. The same rules that make it possible to keep your cell phone number wherever you go also make it possible to keep your existing phone number with a VoIP account. It can take a while to transfer the number to your VoIP account, though, and in the meantime, you'll be paying for two phone service providers.
Can I use my VOiP phone number when I'm traveling? In a word, yes. You'll have your phone with you wherever you plug in your 'box', whether it's your living room or a hotel room in Naples.
How about emergency services like 911 calls? 911 availability varies from provider to provider. With Vonage, for instance, you have to activate 911 service in order to make emergency calls. Even then, because the service is portable, like a cell phone, the call doesn't go to the Emergency Response Center, and the operator will not have your location. Since this is a key issue, though, 911 availability and behavior is constantly upgraded. If you choose a VoIP phone service, check with the company on 911 availability.
Can I use multiple phone extensions with my VoIP? It's tricky, but it's doable. The easiest way is to use a cordless phone with multiple handsets. Again, it's another area that's being worked on, so expect that to change over time.
The portability that causes that disadvantage, however, is its own advantage. It means that you can, with very few exceptions, keep your telephone number for life, no matter where in the country you move.
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