What is VOIPVOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is the technology that allows digitized audio to be transmitted over Intranets and the Internet. Broadband telephone service is a revolutionary new digital voice service that leverages VOIP to combine the power of your phone and your high-speed Internet connection.
For the consumer, broadband telephone service is an inexpensive alternative to traditional telephone communication over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). VOIP covers computer-to-computer, computer-to-telephone, and telephone-based communications.
Benifit of VOIP ServiceBroadband telephony is useful because it provides all the basic functionality of conventional telephony plus additional features - all at a much lower cost.
One very useful feature that is unique to VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is the ability to acquire and use phone numbers in other cities, states and even distant countries. This allows people in that area to make local calls to you, and for you to make local calls to them. This effectively eliminates long distance calls that you otherwise would pay.
Another unique feature of broadband telephony is the ability to take your phone number with you wherever you go: to a country cottage, on a business trip to Europe or Africa, or even when you move permanently to a different location. With conventional phone numbers, it is often impossible to retain a phone number even if you are moving just a few blocks away.
Broadband telephones and VOIP technology (Voice over Internet Protocol) are useful to many different groups including consumers, teenagers, small businesses, large companies and people on the move.
Who requires VOIP ServiceConsumers
Consumers can enjoy monthly residential local phone rates that are half the cost of conventional telephone service. Because long distance phone calls travel over the Internet rather than over the telephone network, long distance calls are also much less expensive. If the consumer has family and friends in another city, the person can further benefit by obtaining a second phone number in that city rather than in the city in where they live. This eliminates long distance charges for calls between the two cities.
Teenagers
Rather than paying for a second land-line phone for a teenager or for expensive cell phone service, a broadband telephone service can be a great alternative. Not only is it a less expensive option, the individual can take the number wherever he/she goes, provided that there is high-speed Internet connection to plug into at that location.
Large and Small Businesses
Businesses that wish to expand into new markets in other cities, states or countries, can establish a virtual presence in the target area by providing telephone support using a local phone number.
Similarly, if a firms suppliers are physically located elsewhere (e.g. India, China, Malaysia), communications with the suppliers can be enhanced and costs reduced by acquiring and using a local phone number in the city where the suppliers operate.
People on the Move
The portability of a broadband telephone services allows you to take your local phone number with you wherever you go. If your job involves travel or if you want to spend the winter months in a sun drenched paradise, yet remain active in your business, a broadband telephone service should be considered.
Where VOIP is availibleIn essence, broadband telephone service is available anywhere that high-speed Internet connectivity is available. In most towns and cities, inexpensive high-speed Internet connectivity is readily available via cable TV and ADSL service providers. In remote locations, high-speed Internet connectivity is available via satellite. VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology can therefore be leveraged anywhere.
Unfortunately, broadband telephone service providers are not yet operating in many regions. It is therefore not possible to obtain telephone numbers in all communities and in all countries. Consequently, you would have no problem obtaining a local Los Angeles, Toronto or London phone number wherever you live. You could, however, have difficulty finding a Broadband telephone service provider who could give you a local phone number in Lagos, Nigeria.
Nonetheless, if you ever visited Lagos and had access to a high-speed Internet connection, you could still use your broadband telephone service to make free "local" phone calls to friends, family and business associates back home.
How does VOIP WorkThere are three types of VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone services available:
Web-to-Web
Web-to-Phone
Phone-to-Phone
Web-to-Web VOIP Service
Web-to-web phone service has been available for a number or years. It requires that the person making the call and the person receiving the call have VOIP software installed on their computers. They both must be connected to the Internet and be expecting the call. Due to these inherent limitations, web-to-web phone service has not gained much popularity.
Web-to-Phone VOIP Service
Web-to-phone telephone service requires that the person making the call have VOIP software installed on their computer. The service can be used to make inexpensive outgoing long distance telephone calls, however, calls can't be received from conventional phones.
Phone-to-Phone VOIP Service
Phone-to-phone service is the emerging technology that offers the most promise. It requires that one party have a telephone adapter device that plugs into their high-speed Internet connection or router. A conventional phone is plugged into this adapter. Phone-to-phone VOIP service supports both incoming and outgoing calls. The cost of both local and long distance telephone service is much less than it would be using a conventional land-line telephone service or cell phone service.
Where to Start for VOIPIf you wish to try broadband telephone service, this is what you should do:
Determine which of the three types of VOIP telephone service you require. (web-to-web, web-to-phone, phone-to-phone).
If you decide that you need web-to-web or web-to-phone service, select a service provider, download their software, establish an account and make your first call.
If "phone-to-phone" service is what you require, you should first decide where you would like to have your phone number based (i.e. country and area code).
Identify VOIP service providers that can provide a telephone number in the desired city, state or country. Our database of service providers will help you with this.
Visit the websites of candidate VOIP service provider and compare their offerings and service costs.
Subscribe to the broadband telephone service of your choice and obtain the necessary phone adapter device by mail or at a local store.
Plug the telephone device into the router (i.e. firewall) that is connected to your Internet modem. If you dont have a router, you can purchase one at any computer store for approximately 25 pounds.
Plug a standard household cordless or corded telephone into the Internet telephone adapter device.
Make your first phone call over the Internet.
Possible sources for this information are suggested by andy in reply #16. panda is free to attribute his sources himself, as andy has asked.
This is trully quality information, and this thread is quickly becoming my current favourite!
I hope that all other Moderators, and indeed members, will want to emulate this high stanrdard.
Regards.
Dave.
