Pros And Cons Of VoIP Services
Everybody knows that all kinds of phone calls can be made using the internet. This is a great advancement from the days of using the analog phone. The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is now commonly referred to as Internet voice. VoIP technology makes this possible.
Some VoIP services may limit you to making calls only to others who have the same service that you are using, but there are some services that give you the freedom to call local, long-distance, international, and mobile numbers.
Similarly, there are also VoIP services that force you to make phone calls only from a special VOIP phone or using your computer, but others will make it possible to use a regular telephone through a simple adaptor.
VoIP technology comes with many advantages.
A major benefit of using VoIP services is that it can save you quite a bit of money. A lot of VoIP providers offer flat rates even for long distance services. Most of these providers also allow you to choose your own area code but this need not be the area code where you live.
If you make many phone calls to an area code that would actually be long distance, you can make that your area code. You can then save on long distance fees.
As of now, governments have taken a hands off approach regarding VOIP phone service providers. Because the calls are being carried over the Internet, governments have not taxed VOIP phone services heavily.
Today, the only tax you can expect to see on your VOIP phone service provider's invoice is the Federal Excise Tax, which is just 3% of the cost of the service.
VOIP phone providers give you features that are already included in the service, while most traditional phone companies will charge an extra $20 to $30 per month. Free voicemail, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, call-waiting ID, three way calling, and speed dialing are some of most commonly offered VOIP phone features.
When you choose a VOIP phone service, you will also be sent a converter in order to allow a regular phone to use the VOIP phone service.
Your phone number will be programmed into the converter. This means that you can simply take your converter and phone number and use them even when you travel. Just remember that you will still need high-speed access to the internet in order to make or receive calls.
In addition to this, there are a few disadvantages in using VOIP services.
These services may not work properly with an unsuitable power outage.
Yet another disadvantage of VOIP is that the quality of sound is not necessarily always the best. The person on the other end sometimes has a hard time hearing what you are saying. This is because some VOIP services cater only to phone calls of the same providers.
To add to this, if you are using speakers to hear the person you are talking to, that person will hear an 'echo' of their own voice.
This happens for reasons that are similar to those encountered with the 'speakerphone' feature on traditional telephones. Your microphone will perceive the voice at the same time as you hear that person's voice coming through your computer speakers, and return these two signals back to the person you're talking to.
Anyway, try VOIP phones. You have almost nothing to lose and still have the potential to save yourself a lot of money if you simply be careful to choose a good quality of VOIP phones.