If the cost savings potential of VoIP services has caught your interest but
you're not sure about all of the steps involved in making the switch
then read on for further details.
Savings Potential with VoIP services
International and Long Distance charges:
One of the main benefits of VoIP service is that international and long distance voip charges
are much cheaper. Depending on the package or service that you select, you will
either get unlimited or a set number of minutes for North America (US & Canada) long
distance calling.
Overseas long distance rates are also significantly
cheaper from VoIP providers than traditional phone companies,
although the differences between the providers are vast. It is
not uncommon to have differences in calling rates of up to 1000%
depending on your call destination. If you make regular international
calls then it would be very wise to choose your provider based on their
package costs and international call rates. Use the search on this
website (www.myvoipprovider.com) to make the comparison, to review providers and make your selection.
Most VoIP providers have free in-network calling. What this means is that
if you call anyone using the same provider, regardless of their
geographic location, the call is free and doesn’t count against your
monthly long distance minutes.
If you plan on connecting more than two phone lines to your VoIP
package, you will need two telephone adapter devices. In order to
connect both devices to a single broadband connection, you will also
need a router. A router can also be used to connect more than one
computer to your broadband connection and will not be provided by your VoIP provider.
Use this speedtest to check the suitability of your broadband connection.
VoIP technology makes possible a feature called a virtual phone number.
With this feature, you can set-up your phone number to have an area
code for the city of your choice. This could be useful to set-up a
local business presence or to just save even more on your long distance
charges.
Your VoIP service can also save you on long distance charges when you
travel. You can take your telephone and VoIP Phone Adapter with you
when you travel and plug them in wherever there is a broadband internet
connection. Alternatively, some VoIP providers have what is called soft
phone software available. You can download and install this software on
your laptop and then use it to make long distance calls anywhere there
is broadband internet.
Additional Lines:
Adding additional lines to your VoIP service can be done online, via
your VoIP service provider’s website. The process is instant, simple, usually free
and best of all nobody from the telephone company has to come
to your house or business premises. Additional lines are also cheaper than POTS (Plain Old
Telephone Service) lines. Fax lines are usually included in small
business packages and are less expensive than POTS lines as an add-on.
The monthly fee for a Toll-free number for your business is also
significantly lower from a VoIP provider.
Cheaper Bundles:
VoIP packages generally have lower monthly costs than POTS lines and
usually include more calling features (see Calling Features
article for
more details). VoIP also makes available more advanced calling
features, such as an auto-attendant for your business, at lower costs.
With cable and existing phone companies climbing into the VoIP services
industry, you will soon be able to have your cable TV, broadband
internet and
VoIP telephone service all in one bundle. This will likely result in
additional savings and make possible some very interesting synergistic
features.
Initial Requirements for VoIP services
All you need to make the switch from your traditional phone line to
a VoIP service is a broadband internet connection. You can use your current
telephone for your VoIP line and your VoIP provider will include
everything else you need. Your VoIP provider will provide you with a
device called an Analogue Phone Adapter or ATA. You can think of this adapter as a hub
for both your internet service and your phone. You plug in your
broadband internet connection and PC into this adapter using ethernet
cable. You then plug into your existing telephone to the adapter using
regular phone cable.
Selecting a VoIP solutions Provider
Price:
There is no doubt about it, VoIP can save you a lot of money over your
current phone service. You can save on international and long distance rates, monthly
package costs and add on calling features. The price should not be your
only deciding factor however.
E-911 Service:
When deciding between VoIP providers, you should make sure that their
service comes with E-911 service. 911 service can differ between
different VoIP providers so make sure that the provider you select
offers E-911 service. This is the same level of 911 service that you
currently have on your traditional phone line. Have a look at the 911
Service article for more details on VoIP 911 service.
Calling Features:
Most VoIP providers bundle calling features such as conference calling,
call waiting and caller ID with their packages. In addition, VoIP
technology makes possible several new, innovative features that
providers can include in their packages (see Calling Features article
for more details). Having these features included in a bundle rather
than paying for them as an extra, as you would with a POTS (Pain Old
Telephone Service) provider, can save you a significant fraction of
your phone bill. You should take this into consideration when deciding
on a VoIP provider.
Making the Transition to a VoIP service
Keeping Your Existing Phone Number: Most VoIP providers will
allow you to keep your existing phone number
when you switch to their service. This is called LNP (Local Number
Portability) and is often dependant on the state/province you live in.
You should always double check with a
provider before you switch.
Using Your Existing Phone:
You will always be able to use your existing phone when you make the
switch to a VoIP provider. Residential VoIP works by connecting your
phone to your broadband connection using a phone adapter. With some
VoIP providers however, some of the calling features may not be compatible
with your existing telephone. The caller ID function and voicemail
indicator are two features known to have compatibility issues with
certain telephones. It would be a good idea to ask your VoIP provider
if your handset is compatible with these features before you switch.
Connecting Your VoIP Service to Your Existing Wiring:
One inconvenient aspect to VoIP service is that you must connect any
phones you want to use to your Phone Adapter. There is a solution for
this however that allows you to use the existing telephone wiring in
your house for your VoIP service:
1. Disconnect the POTS telephone
wires coming in from the telephone pole to the phone box on the side of
your house. Warning: if you don’t disconnect these wires, you may
damage your Phone Adapter.
2. Setup your VoIP Phone Adapter as you
usually would.
3. Connect your Phone Adapter to any telephone outlet in
your house using a standard telephone cable.
4. You should now be able
to plug a phone into any telephone outlet to use your VoIP service.
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