| Ever since the birth of the internet, | | | | Bell, Qwest, and SBC develop their own |
| entrepreneurs with an eye to the future have | | | | implementations of VoIP technology the way |
| predicted that voice communications -- | | | | has been opened up for a myriad of choices |
| telephone services -- would eventually be | | | | for consumers. Today's VoIP allows anyone |
| merged with internet services. With the | | | | with a broadband internet connection to place |
| widespread adoption of VoIP, that day has | | | | calls to anyone with an ordinary telephone |
| come, and it is causing a revolution in the | | | | connection, anywhere in the world.Why you |
| telephone industry.In simple terms, a VoIP | | | | save money with VoIPThe major advantages of |
| service allows you to use your broadband | | | | VoIP are lower cost, and greater flexibility |
| (high-speed) connection to place telephone | | | | with no significant decrease in voice |
| calls over the Internet. It is not difficult | | | | quality. |
| to see how this is rocking the telecom | | | | |
| industry to the core.It's all about costTwo | | | | First, a VoIP subscriber does not need a |
| things have made traditional telephone | | | | traditional phone line. Instead, you are |
| service providers so powerful. Their monopoly | | | | assigned a phone number by your VoIP |
| over local telephone services, and their | | | | provider. Prices for these numbers can be as |
| traditional stranglehold on lucrative and | | | | low as $9 usd per month.Second, most VoIP |
| usually over-priced "long distance" services. | | | | subscribers will purchase a "bundle" of |
| Both of these captive markets have been | | | | services that includes unlimited incoming |
| seriously eroded over the last few years, as | | | | calls and unlimited long distance calls to |
| the reality of VoIP has started to sink in.In | | | | anyone within a defined geographic area. For |
| anticipation of the revolution that is now | | | | instance, VoIP unlimited calling plans to |
| upon us, most aspects of telephone service | | | | anyone in the USA or Canada start at around |
| have gradually been opened up to competition. | | | | $20 per month.Third, most VoIP service |
| Most of us now have a choice of providers for | | | | providers offer free bundled features that |
| both local and long distance telephone | | | | most traditional telephone companies charge |
| service. And the biggest reason for the new | | | | for. These include free voicemail, call |
| competitive environment is the recognition | | | | forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, call |
| that the widespread adoption of VoIP is | | | | waiting ID, 3 way calling, speed dialing, and |
| inevitable.The development of VoIPVoIP has | | | | many more of the services that the |
| been developing slowly over the last ten | | | | traditional companies are constantly trying |
| years or so. Early implementations allowed | | | | to sell you.Greater flexibility and |
| computer users to talk to each other through | | | | portabilityAnother significant advantage is |
| their computers. This was only feasible if | | | | the flexibility and portability of VoIP phone |
| you had a voice-enabled computer, a reliable | | | | service. With VoIP your personal telephone |
| and stable internet connection, and a | | | | number is programmed into the converter that |
| software program installed on your computer | | | | acts as a bridge between your internet |
| that made it all work.The advantage of this | | | | connection and your regular telephone.This |
| computer-to-computer communication was that | | | | has several important advantages. As already |
| you could completely bypass the traditional | | | | mentioned you do not need an actual land |
| telephone system and talk to anyone in the | | | | line. Instead your telephone number is |
| world free of charge -- as long as they had a | | | | assigned to your converter (not to your |
| similar setup to yours. But the disadvantages | | | | geographic land line). So you can take your |
| of communicating this way were also obvious. | | | | converter with you anywhere in the world, |
| You could only communicate this way using | | | | plug it into any available broadband |
| your computer. You were completely dependent | | | | connection, and immediately start using your |
| on often unstable dial-up internet | | | | regular number to make and receive calls.This |
| connections. And the person at the other end | | | | flexibility also lets you choose a number in |
| of the conversation had to also be "online" | | | | an area code where most of your long distance |
| with a voice-enabled computer.Today's VoIP | | | | calls originate. For instance, if many of |
| has solved these problemsToday's versions of | | | | your friends, family, business associates or |
| VoIP have left these problems in the past. | | | | customers are calling from a specific city |
| Two things were required to make VoIP | | | | that traditionally involved a long distance |
| technology feasible on a large scale basis, | | | | call for them, you could choose a number in |
| and both of these things have now been | | | | that area code and immediately turn all their |
| realized.First, broadband internet service | | | | calls to you into local (free) calls for |
| has been widely adopted. This makes it | | | | them.The advantages of VoIP are many, and the |
| possible to have stable internet connections | | | | savings can be very significant. So it is no |
| that are "always on". Second, the industry | | | | wonder that VoIP has become the hottest |
| has developed a simple, inexpensive method of | | | | telecom technology of the decade. Informed |
| integrating the IP network (the internet) | | | | consumers and businesses around the world are |
| with the traditional telephone system. This | | | | adopting this technology at a phenomenal |
| allows a user of VoIP to use his or her own | | | | rate.For more information on VoIP features |
| telephone to call anyone else in the world | | | | and comparisons of VoIP service providers, |
| who has a traditional telephone | | | | see VoIP Comparisons, or visit our blog VoIP |
| connection.This is where we are today. As | | | | Providers. |
| traditional telecom companies like AT&T, | | | | |