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