Residential VoIP

Residential VoIP: the new Home Phone Service

What is Residential VoIP?

Residential VoIP is a new type of home phone service. Residential VoIP uses the Internet to make phone calls and can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Home phone service with a VoIP company is much cheaper than the landline provided by a traditional phone company. There's also a good chance that you are already using residential VoIP for your home phone service – you just haven't been told.

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Featured VoIP Providers

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Country you call the most: AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntiguaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAscension IslandAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBasseterreBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosniaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslBruneiBulgariaBulgaria SofiaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCanary IslandCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos ISLANDCocos-Kelling IslandColombiaComorrosCongoCongo RepublicCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCroatia-CellularCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDiego GarciaDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEcuador-GuayaEcuador-QuitoEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland IslandsFiji IslandsFinlandFranceFrench AntillesFrench Antilles CellularFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuantanamo BayGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea-NorthKorea-SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotte IslandMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNevisNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePalestine-CellularPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarQatar-CellularReunion IslandRomaniaRomania-BucharestRomania-MobileRussiaRwandaSaipanSan MarinoSao TomeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. KittsSt. LuciaSt. PierreSt. VincentSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaSyria-CellularTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThurayaTogoToklauTongaTrinidadTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks & CaicosTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamWallis & FutunaWestern SamoaYemenYugoslaviaZaireZambiaZanzibarZimbabwe

Provider	Plan	Monthly Fees	Setup Fees	Intl Rate /min	More Info
3.875 2 reviews  Add Review	ITP - Premium Unlimited 2 months free. Unlimited calls. Interested? Residential. USA, CAN, PR. specials First Month Free, Free Linksys Adapter/Router and Free 800 Number	$ 8.32	free	-NA-	Details
3.75 2 reviews  Add Review	ViaTalk Unlimited Special Free line. 60 mins Free International. Unlimited US & Can. Residential. USA, CAN.	$ 8.47	free	-NA-	Details
0 Add Review	VoIPo Home 2 years for $129. $5.38/month. Residential VoIP USA, CAN	$ 5.38	free	-NA-	Details
0 Add Review	Phone.com - Unlimited Monthly Pay much less for so much more: Voicemail alerts to SMS and email, ring any number or just forward to your cell ph...	$ 9.88	free	-NA-	Details
3.75 2 reviews  Add Review	Phone Power - Premium Unlimited - $8.33/mo Free 60 minutes global calls. Free line. Unlimited domestic calls. Residential. USA. specials Free Hardware. No setup fees.	$ 4.99	free	-NA-	Details
0 Add Review	VoIP.com Free to US, Canada. 1 Hr Free international. Residential VoIP. US, Can.	$ 16.95	free	-NA-	Details

1: International Rate reflects providers rate for Mexico. Rates may not be up to date.

Page: 1

Featured VoIP Providers

Enter Your Area Code:

Country you call the most: AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntiguaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAscension IslandAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBasseterreBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosniaBotswanaBrazilBritish Virgin IslBruneiBulgariaBulgaria SofiaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCanary IslandCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos ISLANDCocos-Kelling IslandColombiaComorrosCongoCongo RepublicCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCroatia-CellularCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDiego GarciaDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEcuador-GuayaEcuador-QuitoEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland IslandsFiji IslandsFinlandFranceFrench AntillesFrench Antilles CellularFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuantanamo BayGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIrelandIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea-NorthKorea-SouthKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotte IslandMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNevisNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinePalestine-CellularPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarQatar-CellularReunion IslandRomaniaRomania-BucharestRomania-MobileRussiaRwandaSaipanSan MarinoSao TomeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. KittsSt. LuciaSt. PierreSt. VincentSudanSurinameSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaSyria-CellularTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandThurayaTogoToklauTongaTrinidadTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks & CaicosTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican CityVenezuelaVietnamWallis & FutunaWestern SamoaYemenYugoslaviaZaireZambiaZanzibarZimbabwe

Provider	Plan	Monthly Fees	Setup Fees	Intl Rate /min	More Info

1: International Rate reflects providers rate for Mexico. Rates may not be up to date.

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The Difference Between Residential VoIP and a Landline

How Residential Voice Provides Better Service than a Landline

Residential VoIP is different than a landline in several ways:

• Residential VoIP is cheaper than a landline
• Residential VoIP uses an internet connection directly
• Residential VoIP comes with many added features

Residential VoIP costs less than a landline because it uses the most modern technology for home phone service. Instead of using an old, expensive copper wire network, residential VoIP uses Internet networks to route calls. Since Internet networks use computers and computers are getting more efficient and cheaper, networking costs drop. That's one reason why residential VoIP is cheaper than a landline – it’s always getting more efficient.

Also, residential VoIP doesn’t charge extra for long distance phone calls. This is a benefit of how VoIP works: basically, since VoIP uses computers, it can bypass long distance phone service providers and make every call work like a local phone call.

In terms of cost comparisons for home phone service, VoIP costs between $10 and $20 a month and a landline costs between $20 and $40 a month. Sometimes, you can get prices per month of much less than $10 a month if you're willing to prepay for a year or two.

Residential VoIP also directly uses your internet connection, so you get savings right away. If you use a landline from a traditional phone company, the home phone provider may use VoIP (and probably does) to make a call but they don't pass the savings on to you.

Residential VoIP also adds many helpful features to your home phone service that you don't get with your current landline provider. For instance, most residential VoIP providers offer an online account management portal.

Online account management is the VoIP equivalent of an online banking portal: instead of balancing your checkbook every month, you can check your balances online. The same thing works for residential VoIP: you can monitor your usage, make changes to your account, pay your bill online – do everything that you need to do over the computer. You don't have to wait for the phone bill to come every month – you can monitor your usage in real time.

How Landlines provide better home phone service than Residential VoIP

Residential VoIP does have some disadvantages when compared with a landline:

• Residential VoIP might not work when the power is out
• Residential VoIP needs high speed Internet
• Residential VoIP needs new equipment

Since residential VoIP works over the Internet, it might not work when the power is out (because the Internet doesn't usually stay on when the power goes out). That's because Internet service usually runs through an router or a modem that needs a power supply. Obviously, you can solve this problem with a battery backup for your Internet line.

Also, some residential VoIP providers, such as Phone Power, offer a call forwarding service known as Failsafe. Basically, it automatically forwards your calls to your cell phone in the event of a power outage or network outage.

Residential VoIP also isn't a completely independent service: residential VoIP does need high speed Internet in order to work.

However, the low monthly cost of home phone service with VoIP (compared to traditional landline service) means that you'll save money overall. After all, $40 a month for high speed internet and $40 a month for local landline service compares pretty poorly with $40 for high speed internet and $15 a month for unlimited local and long distance calling.

Residential VoIP does need new equipment in order to work correctly – if you have an older analog phone. Basically, you need something that can translate the sound of your voice so that it can move over the Internet.

Usually, you can convert a traditional home phone to work with VoIP by using something called an analog telephone adapter. Most residential VoIP providers will offer you this equipment for free, with the cost of your subscription. If you'd like to purchase your own analog telephone adapter, they run between $25 to $50.