Broadband Internet Phone Service Reduces Long Distance Charges

The biggest reason cited for people switching to VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is the elimination of long distance charges. The advantage is that by using a broadband Internet phone service, is it is just like using your traditional phone. You pick it up, dial a number and your call goes through.

This refers, of course, to hardware based broadband Internet phone service because with software-based VoIP, you need to run your call through your computer. How it works is that your voice is accepted as an analog signal, converted to a digital signal to be broadcast over the Internet and then converted back to analog for the listener.

Since you calls are going over the Internet, they bypass the telephone company and therefore skip the billing. Not that broadband Internet phone service is free, you are just not paying the phone company and in many cases you are not paying as much for the phone service.

Several Choices

Since traditional telephone companies are now getting into the Internet service business too, they are competing with the cable companies and original VoIP providers, providing a host of services at ever-decreasing prices. Additional regular phone services are also available like caller-ID, call forwarding and three-way-calling.

Before you throw away your landline, however, there are two major concerns you need to look into. First is the availability of 911 emergency calling through your potential broadband Internet phone service. Not every 911 call center is able to receive information like your name and address from Internet-based phones. You may need to register at some websites in order to have the 911 facility.

The other disadvantage of broadband Internet phone service, which some phone companies have begun to exploit, is the availability of your Internet connection. In the case of heavy cloud cover, satellite connection may be spotty and the case of a power outage, your computer will not work. Cable connections while mostly reliable also rely on electricity and if it is out, so is your cable connection.

Traditional telephone service is powered by the phone company and if the phone lines are still up, the traditional landline will still function. The other requirement is the availability to have a high-speed Internet connection before a broadband Internet phone service will work for you. Additionally, while most companies charge a flat monthly fee for a set number of minutes, long distance charges may still apply depending on the service you opt for. So despite the ability to reduce long distance charges, these are a couple of issues to consider before switching to a broadband Internet phone service.