Does VOIP Really Work?

It is already a great knowledge to all of us that you can now make all of your phone calls with your Internet broadband connection as opposite to an analog phone line or the regular telephone line. Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is now commonly known as Internet voice. VOIP is the technology that makes this possible.

Some VOIP services that limit you to making calls only to people with the same service as you are using, but there are others that give you the liberty to call local, long-distance, international, and mobile numbers.

Similarly, there are VOIP services that oblige you to make phone calls on a special VOIP phone or your computer, but others will make it possible to use a regular telephone through an adaptor.

Using VOIP can have many advantages.

One major benefit in using VOIP services is that it can really save you money. Many VOIP providers offer flat rates for long distance services. Most of these providers also allow you to select your own area code but this does not need to be the area code where you live.

If you make a large number of phone calls to an area code that would normally be long distance, you can make that your area code. You will then save on long distance fees.

As of today, governments have taken a hand off approach when it comes to VOIP phone service providers. Since the calls are being carried over the Internet, governments have not heavily taxed VOIP phone services.

Right now, the only tax you can expect to see on your VOIP phone service provider's invoice is a Federal Excise Tax, which is only 3% of the cost of the service.

VOIP phone providers offer features that are already included in the service, while most traditional phone companies 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 VOIP phone features.

When you choose a VOIP phone service provider, you will be sent a converter to allow a regular phone to use the VOIP phone service.

Your phone number is programmed into the converter. This means that you can take your converter and phone number and use them wherever you travel in the world. Just remember that you still need high-speed access to the internet in order to make and receive calls.

In addition, there are some possible disadvantages in using VOIP services.

These services may not work properly if there is a power outage.

Another disadvantage of VOIP is that the quality of sound is not always the best. The person on the other end may have a hard time hearing what you are saying. Some VOIP services cater to phone calls of the same providers only.

In addition, if you are using speakers to hear the person you are talking to, that person may hear an 'echo' of their own voice.

This happens for reasons similar to that encountered with the 'speakerphone' feature on traditional telephones. At the same time as you hear that person's voice coming through your computer speakers, your microphone will also perceive the voice and return the signal back to the person you're talking to.

So try VOIP phones. You have really nothing to lose and have the potential to save yourself a lot of money if you just choose a good quality of VOIP phones.