“VoIP” stands for Voice Over IP. The first VoIP service was offered in the United States in 1995 by VocalTec Communications. VoIP is gradually replacing the traditional phone service in many homes and businesses. VoIP is a digital telephone service that uses public Internet. There are many companies that offer VoIP, three of which are Vonage, 8×8 and AT&T. Companies who offer VoIP usually offer calling within the United States for a fixed fee and a low per-minute charge for international calls. The service requires Broadband Internet access. This can be cable or DSL. Your regualar house phones plug into an analog telephone adapter which is usually provided by the company.
There are two types of VoIP. The first being telephone adapter based. This service allows the use of regular telephones and can usually make calls to any regular phone and receive calls from any phone. This service gives one the feeling of using a traditional phone service. The second VoIP service is softphone service which is a software-based phone sysem which requires using the computer to make and receive calls. There is usually a no-cost option if both sides are on the same serivce. You can make calls to any phone in the world from your laptop, no matter where you are in the world just as long as you have an Internet connection. With this service one is usually charged a per-minute charge when calling regular phone numbers. The downside to this service is that you might not be able to receive a call from a regular phone.
The biggest advantage to VoIP is the cost. There are many VoIP services available and the amount of money you pay for this service will depend on which company you go with. Most VoIP providers include features such a call forwarding, call waiting, and three way calling. Not all VoIP systerms require the use of a computer. Some use a digital VoIP phone or adapter that can be used with a regular phone. There are advantages to using a VoIP phone rather than a compute based application. A digital VoIP phone is simple. It is usually no more complicated than placing a normal phone call. VoIP phones are portable. You can take it anywhere you go just as long as you have a Broadband internet connection as it has an address built into it that is unique to your phone. Some providers offer a Web interface which allows customers to log in and place calls from anywhere in the world. Companies who have employees that travel a lot and make a lot of calls from the road may want to consider this service. It is not as convenient as a cell phone but it is normally less expensive since this service works in foreign countries where a cell phone may not.
VoIP, like any service, has its disadvantages. The first disadvantage is the sound quality. With sufficient bandwidth and good equipment you can get fairly good sound quality with a VoIP system. When a file needs to be sent over an IP network from one point to another, the file is broken up into a series of packets. The packets are transmitted in sequential order. Because of the distributed nature of the Internet, the packets may arrive at point B in a sequential order or they may be out of order. Another disadvantage is compatibility. There is no universal standard when it comes to PC to PC VoIp calls. Some sysems will only allow calls to others who are using the same software. Because VoIP is a computer based system, you will not be able to place a call unless your computer is turned on and the VoIP software is running. VoIP phones or computer based VoIP sysgtems require an external power to functions. a VoIP system also requires the Internet to be available. If you lose power or your Internet connection, VoIP will not work. One important disadvantage is that 991 service does not work properly over a VoIP phone system. When you call 911, the phone company looks at either your landline phone service or cell tower that you are communicating through to put you in contact with the nearest 911 dispatcher., The caller’s location cannot be determined by traditional means with VoIP systems. If you dial 911 from a VoIP system, you likely will not be put in contact with a local 911 dispatcher. There is an experimental program which may eventually allow VoIP calls to be routed to the correct 911 dispatcher by looking at the caller’s IP address. This is possible because IP addresses are distributed based on geographic area.
As I was researching VoIP systems, I was thinking that I have Comcast “digital service” and wondering if this was actaully a VoIP system that I have. I found that cable companies purchase VoIP service from true VoIP providers at a wholesale rate and pass it on to consumers (like me) at an inflated price. “Digital Service” is nothing new or special, it is the same VoIP internet phone service that is offered at nearly half the cost by VoIP providers like Vontage, 8X8 and AT&T. The biggest disadvantage I have found is that when I lose power or my Internet connection, I lose my phone service. That is when I need to depend on my cell phone.
It is up to the individual or the business to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP. For me personally, I have no problem with my “Digital Service” which is actually a VoIP service except if I lose my power or Internet connection. When I am making a phone call or receiving a phone call, it is just the same as if I had a traditional phone line. The only difference is that I get call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, etc., as well as unlimited long distance anywhere in the United States for one set price per month. When I had a traditional phone service, I paid extra for each of these services.
I researched VoIP as well. It’s funny how I’ve been exposed to most of these topics that we are writing about but don’t really know all the information. I see the Vonage commercial at least once a day. Is there an alternative for those that don’t have broadband? I didn’t come up with any specific information about that.
I believe not being able to call 911 is a major disadvantage. I find that hard to comprehend that there isn’t a solution to that issue. What if a cell phone battery dies or doesn’t get service. I’m sure a solution for this will be explored in the near future.
[...] a little rudamentary, but useful. Jules59 explains exactly what VoIP is (and gives a little history [...]
Your disadvantage of when cable is down so is your phone is the main reason why my work will not switch to VoIP. Not having a phone at home could be an advantage to piece and quite. Your post was very informative I did not know that digital voice and VoIP was the same. Not being able to call 911 and have them know where I was would make me nervous especially if I was older and lived alone.
I found that even though VOIP is cost effective, I’d be very hesitant to rely on it for my only personal phone, or business service for the very reasons you stated above. The voice quality is not typically the best, even most cell service is more consistent, depending on the location. Also, the fact that if you lose your internet connection, you can lose your phone service is a little scary; unless you’ve got a backup plan like cellular. Also, I wasn’t aware that you cannot dial 911 until I read the comment above. That’s probably the most scary disadvantage of all!