VoIP Service: 4 Things You Need To Know Before You Switch
VO IP service for making and getting phone calls is probably the best thing that's come along in the telephone business for decades. The main reason for this is that there are benefits for the consumer as well as for the VoIP service provider.
That said, VoIP service may not be for you. Here are some of the things that you need to settle before you can make an informed decision about getting VO IP service in your home or business area.
Your high-speed Internet connection
All of the VoIP service solutions available to you will assume that you already have high-speed Internet service. Not only that: they're going to assume that your Internet connection is reliable as well as fast. This may or may not be the case. And if it's not the case, it's not the fault of the VoIP service provider. The fact is they have zero control over your Internet connection. That's too bad because the quality of your Internet connection will affect the quality of your VoIP service.
Test your Internet connection before you take a VoIP service solution. There are lots of different sites online that allow you to do a speed test. One of them is called speedtest.net. Just be aware that these tests don't always tell you everything you need to know. For example, you could check your Internet speed on a Sunday afternoon, and find that it's very fast. However on a Thursday afternoon. It might be very slow. It might be faster in January than it is in May. It might be faster in the morning than it is at night or vice versa. If you experience any stoppages or delays, you will experience lower quality on your VoIP calls.
If you have VoIP service at home, you may find that -- when one or more people are surfing the Internet -- your Internet connection speeed may slow down. In turn, this will cause your VoIP phone calls to suffer in quality. Now this is generally more of a problem with digital service lines (DSL) than it is with broadband cable. But just be aware that quality can be affected in ways that you don't always foresee.
And what if you don't have the option of either broadband cable or DSL? If your only option is high speed satellite Internet then VoIP phone service may not be for you.
Power outages
We've taken it for granted for decades, but the fact is that a traditional landline gets its power from the phone company, not the electric company. This means that -- during hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes or rainstorms -- if your power goes out your phones will still work. We take that for granted. That is not how it works with a VoIP service. You are depending on your Internet connection to place and receive your calls. If your Internet connection goes down because of a power outage, so does your VoIP service.
Emergency 911 calls
Make sure your VoIP service provider is set up to support 911 services. Don't take it for granted. We all know that with a traditional phone line, when you call 911, if you can't talk they can still pinpoint your location. That is not automatically the case with VoIP service. If this is important to you, please make sure this is available in your area before you choose a VoIP service provider.
Saving money
No question about it: VoIP service is much cheaper than traditional phone service. It includes all kinds of features that you used to pay extra for, like caller ID, call waiting, unlimited local calling, and unlimited long distance calling throughout the country.
You can also travel and take your VoIP phone with you. All you need is an Internet connection and whether you're in New York or Denver or Philadelphia or Miami or Dallas, you can make and receive calls just like if you were at home using your same phone number. Think of it as a combination of a cordless phone inside your home combined with a cell phone.
Conclusion
VoIP service can make a big difference in your private and business life. Before you make an informed decision know some of the different issues, and know what the answers are. I hope this article helped.
