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Internet technology is constantly introducing new and better ways to communicate with others around the world, and making telephone calls using VoIP technology is one of those advancements. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it allows a computer user who is connected to the internet through a high-speed terminal to make telephone calls to another computer or telephone without using a standard telephone company.

Essentially, there are two kinds of VoIP applications to consider, either hardware or software based. If you choose the software solution, you'll have to have your computer turned on in order to both make and receive telephone calls, but the only equipment you'll need is a microphone and speakers connected to your computer.

If you choose the hardware solution instead, you'll be using a converter box called an ATA that will be attached to your high-speed internet connection. Your telephone can then be plugged into the ATA. The converter box takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it to a digital signal to be sent over the internet in data packets, which are then reassembled on the other end of the telephone connection. By using a hardware VoIP solution, you computer does not have to be on in order for you to make and receive telephone calls, although your Internet connection will have to be active. Many VoIP service providers are including the ATA at very low cost or even for free in some cases.

In order to make use of VoIP technology for placing internet telephone calls, you will need to subscribe to a service plan provided by one of the major VoIP companies in business today. The service plans are usually very inexpensive, often providing for unlimited long-distance telephone calling for as little as $25 per month. You can even save more by choosing a calling plan that places a limit on the amount of minutes used each month, bringing your total cost down to as low as $15 a month.

In addition to domestic long-distance phone calling, many VoIP providers also allow you to make international telephone calls to persons outside of their subscriber base for a per minute fee, sometimes as low as $.10 to $.15 per minute. Some providers even allow free long-distance telephone calling as long as it is carried out between individuals in their own subscriber base.

If you choose to use a hardware VoIP solution, you can expect to spend some time on the phone with customer support in order to get your system up and running correctly, but most likely you'll be able to experience uninterrupted service from that point on. Also you can expect voice quality to be excellent in most cases, often rivaling that of land line telephones.

When you consider all the advantages of using VoIP technology to place telephone calls over the internet, it's no wonder that so many consumers are turning to VoIP for their long-distance telephone calling needs.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including communication. You can find broadband telephone service and voip michigan and more by visiting our communication website.

I was reading a time magazine article the other day and found that there is a thing called skype phones that was sweeping the internet. The two guys who started it sold their website to ebay and are now very rich because of it. What am I talking about? It is called voip or voice over internet protocal. It is not a new idea, making long distance calls over the internet for free, the rational being that the internet connections are done through local servers. They basically created a way to make free phone calls around the world with just a microphone and a speaker and some free downloadable software.

The implications are obvious, the first being that if you can connect a video phone to it, you can talk and see just about anyone anywhere in the world. There is a drawback, however, and that is that it is most easily used over a broad band connection. The bandwidth of video just does not justify clarity over a 56 k modem.

So I went on Ebay and guess what, they are selling skype phones already. I guess it's been around for about a year already but it's catching on fast. Some of the commercial phone companies are already offering voip phone service. I guess the question remains is it commercially viable. Will it take on the internet by storm, or is it just a passing fad.

My guess is that it is still in its infancy and inevitably will go through a phase where a lot of different companies will come up with different ways to do this. Then inevitably the feds will come in and regulate it. I guess they're charging to make phone calls to cell phones and local regular phones, and that's called skyping out,etc.

I always wandered when they will come up with an idea like solar powered video phones that will connect to anyone in the world. Skype comes pretty close, except that it will be eventually typified as an internet phone service, ready to take that next step of video conferencing which gained a lot of attention years ago.

My opinion is that audio and video over the internet, especially over a broadband connection will gain popularity. Much like cell phone is pretty common these days, but this is mostly for the internet connoseurs, I fear and could be just a passing fad although the commericial implications are there.

But one thing for sure, it's not just hype they're talking about, and it remains to be seen if the general public will catch on. We'll see in the next few years.

The author Norman Dreamer has two websites. http://www.MidnightFantacy.com and http://Wxyz.atspace.com

What is it?

VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This means your voice will get sent across the Internet instead of through the traditional telephone circuit network.

The biggest question you may have is why should I consider VOIP service over traditional phone service?

This is the question I first had when considering VOIP as well. I found the advantages of VOIP far outweigh that of the traditional phone system. Among these advantages are significant cost savings, unlimited talking over both local and long distance, the ability to select any area code you want, and the huge amount of features available.

Cost Savings

The low-cost was my main reason for moving from the tradition phone system to VOIP. You can pay one low monthly fee and get all the features and advantages associated with Internet phone service. There are not near as many taxes and fees associate with VOIP phone service as there are with tradition phone providers. There are no surprises because you know your monthly rate.

Unlimited Minutes

Another huge advantage of VOIP is unlimited talking minutes for both local and long distance for one low fee. You could be in California and speak to someone in New York at anytime of day for as long as you want to without having to worry about per minute charges.

Portability

VOIP is a very portable service. It can be used permanently at home, or you can bring it with you while you travel. All you need is access to a high speed Internet connection. You can select any area code you wish to have your phone service through. This means you could have relatives a significant distance away whom you talk to quite often and you don’t have to make them call long distance. This service benefited me very much while I was in college in Colorado and talking with my friends and parents in Michigan.

Features

Most of the extra features on traditional phone service lines can cost quite a bit of money. These features are now included as part of your normal rates with VOIP. These included features can include voicemail, caller id, call waiting, call forwarding, 3-way calling, and many, many more. I regularly receive voice messages and they are sent to my email as a sound attachment! I love the convenience.

Other Information

VOIP has so many advantages, but as with everything, there are potential downsides. The technology used by VOIP requires a high speed Internet connection such as DSL or Cable to function properly. There is plenty of bandwidth in DSL and Cable Internet services for VOIP to function properly, but dialup just doesn't provide the bandwidth necessary.

Learn about VOIP, DSL, and Cable Internet technologies at Cable-VS-DSL.com

For the uninitiated, the term broadband phone is loosely used to describe the technology currently available where one can make telephone calls from a telephone system that sends the voice signal over your internet connection. The call may terminate at a regular phone line or another broadband phone.

Until recently, the technology was not being used widely because of its perceived limitations, including lack of features available. The primary issue however has been that of poor call quality.

Now, continuing improvements in the industry and increased competition pushing the development of the technology have resulted in significant progress, to the extent that some analysts now predict that broadband phones (really Voice over Internet Protocol technologies) will dominate the long distance calling market by 2010 - maybe sooner.

Here are some specific reasons why you may find broadband phones a good fit at this stage.

Reason #5: Portability and Ease of Use

The equipment provided by the broadband phone companies can be used wherever you have access to a high speed connection. Most broadband service companies do not restrict you from traveling with your phone. As long as the network that you are plugging into will 'automagically' assign your broadband device an internet address (IP address) - and most will - you are up and running.

This means that you can be in a hotel in Japan and still be accessible at the same phone number - your kids or staff don't need to know the hotel's number.

Reason #4: Long Distance Savings

Broadband services typically come with lower long distance rates than you can get from most traditional carriers. This calculates into immediate cost savings. Some services allow you to add one or more virtual numbers to your main phone number. This means that your phone may be able to receive calls from 2 or more different area codes. This virtually eliminates long-distance phoning charges for anyone calling within those numbers' area codes.

Reason #3: Freedom from Tariffs

For the time being, calls made over the internet are not subject to a lot of the tariffs that afflict your regular phone bill. How long will this persist? There are different opinions on this in the industry, but right now it's a nice advantage that makes for an even lower phone bill.

Reason #2: Availability of High Speed Internet

All the cost saving and convenience reasons already mentioned would not do much to propel the growth of the broadband phone market if consumers did not have access to high speed connections at their homes. Broadband phones perform the best when using cable or DSL highspeed internet connections.

Reason #1: Clarity of Sound

The top reason why broadband phone services are currently making swift inroads is that the call quality has significantly improved. All of the major players now offer services that work satisfactorily for residential use and some can consistently meet the most stringent business requirements for clarity.

Finally, considering the initial small investment that may be required to get a broadband phone account up and running, the volume of savings you are likely to experience within a short period is very significant. The flexibility, ease of use (technical know-how not needed) combined with improvement in quality definitely makes this bandwagon a good ride.

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About the Author
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Sabrina Hinds uses experience gained through implementing and supporting technology in corporate environments to help you implement telecommunications and technology that works for you - whether in residential or business environments. Visit http://broadband-phone.connection-store.com/ for more information about broadband phone services.

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