| You've seen the advertisements. You probably know | | | | insignificant or a deciding factor. |
| at least one person who has tried it, but is Voice | | | | With Internet phone service, voice quality depends |
| Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a.k.a. Internet phone | | | | heavily upon the quality of your high speed Internet |
| or digital phone, for you? Let's face it. Your traditional | | | | connection. So if your connection is not fast enough, |
| phone service works pretty well, so why switch? | | | | voice quality may be inconsistent. It's always best to |
| The answer is savings. | | | | test your broadband connection with a VoIP speed |
| Let's start with the basic monthly plan. The average | | | | test before subscribing. |
| monthly residential Internet phone plan is | | | | Presently, unless an alternate back-up power source |
| approximately $25/month. Business plans are roughly | | | | is readily available, Internet phone service will not |
| double the residential rate. Usually included within this | | | | work during a power outage because vital pieces of |
| price are loads of free features like voice mail, call | | | | equipment such as routers, analog telephone |
| waiting, three way calling, caller id, and call forwarding. | | | | adapters, and modems require power. Aware of the |
| Traditional phone service ranges from approximately | | | | problem, some companies supply equipment with |
| $15/month to $60/month depending upon add-ons, | | | | built-in battery back-ups. Other companies will route |
| long distance, taxes, and surcharges. Internet phone | | | | calls to an alternate phone number during an outage. |
| service may be for you if you are on the higher end | | | | Or, you could purchase an Uninterruptable Power |
| of this scale. Moreover, many cable companies offer | | | | Source (UPS) to provide power during an outage. |
| Internet phone service as part of a bundled package- | | | | The amount of power supplied by UPS's will vary by |
| Internet, television, and home phone service on one | | | | model and price. Barring the aforementioned, be |
| bill. This combination may prove to be very cost | | | | ready to use a cell phone during a power outage, or |
| effective. | | | | consider keeping a bare minimum landline as a |
| International calls are extremely cheap with Internet | | | | back-up. |
| phone. Rates can start from around $.02/min., | | | | In 2005 VoIP companies that interconnected with the |
| depending upon the destination country. Also, some | | | | public telephone network were required by the |
| calls may even be free. For example, if you subscribe | | | | Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide |
| to XYZ Internet phone service, and you call a friend | | | | 911 service and disclose service limitations. When you |
| overseas who also subscribes to XYZ, the call should | | | | dial 911, calls are routed through a Public Safety |
| be free. You can even take your Internet phone | | | | Answering Point (PSAP). E911 (Enhanced 911), which |
| service with you when you travel. If you have a wi-fi | | | | is utilized in many areas, allows the PSAP to |
| Internet phone, you should have service wherever | | | | automatically discern your location. Due to the |
| there is a wi-fi hotspot worldwide. Or if you take | | | | dynamic nature of VoIP, your location is more difficult |
| your hardware with you (i.e. telephone adapter, | | | | to determine. Many companies have bypassed this |
| router, IP phone), you should be able to use your | | | | obstacle by sending the PSAP the address of the |
| service wherever there is a broadband Internet | | | | subscriber. However, all PSAP's are not set-up to |
| connection available. Thus, frequent travelers or | | | | receive VoIP data. In which case, you would have to |
| people with overseas relatives and friends would | | | | provide your location to the call center. As more and |
| greatly benefit from Internet phone service. | | | | more people use Internet phone service, upgrades |
| Business owners stand to benefit the most from | | | | are being made to provide E911. |
| switching to Internet phone service. High long | | | | Presently, most alarm systems use a landline for |
| distance volume, systems integration, phone number | | | | monitoring purposes. Your alarm system may work |
| mobility, and local market presence are the main | | | | with VoIP, although some equipment adjustments |
| reasons why. First, businesses have inherently high | | | | and testing may be required. Since VoIP data travels |
| call volumes, especially domestic and international long | | | | at higher speeds, these adjustments involve the |
| distance. VoIP should lower these expenses, lowering | | | | lowering of these speeds. Similarly, faxes may be |
| monthly overhead. Second, VoIP is highly flexible and | | | | sent over a standard VoIP line, with equipment |
| meshes well with other business applications. Third, | | | | adjustments needed in many cases. To mitigate this |
| businesses spend thousands of dollars annually on | | | | problem, many companies offer designated fax lines |
| advertising, and those dollars are wasted if a phone | | | | as an add-on or as part of a business service plan. |
| number has to be changed. VoIP allows a business to | | | | Additionally, many digital video recorder (DVR) |
| keep the same number regardless of location. Closely | | | | devices require landlines to receive updates. |
| related is the issue of local market presence. With | | | | However, some subscribers have reported successful |
| VoIP, businesses can have a local phone number but | | | | DVR operation with VoIP. For a seamless transition, if |
| be located in a different city, state, or country. The | | | | you already have a DVR, you may want to check to |
| cost to you is just a local phone call. Despite the | | | | see if it has a broadband port before subscribing to |
| many benefits of VoIP for businesses, there is one | | | | VoIP service. |
| major concern - security. Since voice conversations | | | | When subscribing to Internet phone service, many |
| travel via the Internet, VoIP systems are susceptible | | | | people prefer to keep the same phone number, and |
| to the same perils as your computer (i.e. hackers, | | | | in most cases this is possible through local number |
| viruses, etc.). Small to medium sized business are less | | | | portability. LNP is the process by which consumers |
| of a target than larger businesses. However, all | | | | can transfer their phone numbers when changing |
| businesses utilizing VoIP should have up-to-date | | | | telecommunications carriers. This process can take |
| security software and contingency plans in place to | | | | from approximately 10 to 20 business days until |
| minimize the threat. | | | | completion. |
| Despite the many benefits of VoIP, there are a few | | | | Finally, VoIP requires a high speed broadband Internet |
| issues that require consideration. These issues include: | | | | connection. For those of you who already use |
| voice quality, power outages, emergency services, | | | | broadband Internet, this is not an issue. However, |
| alarm systems, fax capabilities, digital video recorder | | | | millions of people still use dial-up or have no Internet |
| (DVR) devices, local number portability (LNP), and | | | | access at all. Therefore, this segment of the |
| broadband Internet requirement. For you, these | | | | population must evaluate the cost of upgrading to |
| issues may be just a intermittent irritation, like a | | | | broadband Internet versus the benefits of Internet |
| dropped phone call or poor signal reception during a | | | | phone service. |
| cell phone call. For others, these concerns could be | | | | |