| stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and it is the | | | | phone service can save you a good deal of money, |
| technology which makes it possible to make | | | | especially if you make lots of international telephone |
| telephone calls over your broadband internet | | | | calls. Another way you can save money with a VOIP |
| connection instead of through the traditional | | | | service is that you can have a virtual phone number |
| telephone network. There are a variety of | | | | which you can take with you which in effect gives |
| telecommunications companies now providing VOIP | | | | you a local call number which you can move from |
| phone services which allow you to make cheap or | | | | place to place, so you could live in Seattle and use |
| sometimes free telephone calls through your internet | | | | your local number for Seattle when you are in San |
| connection. | | | | Francisco saving you the cost of long distance calls. |
| So how does a VOIP phone service work? | | | | What do I need to have to get a VOIP phone |
| VOIP internet telephone services convert normal | | | | service? |
| speech into small data packets which can then be | | | | You need to have a broadband internet connection |
| transmitted through your internet connection and | | | | and an account with a VOIP telephone service |
| then when the data packets are received at the | | | | provider. |
| other end, they are converted back into normal | | | | What are the disadvantages of a VOIP service? |
| speech for the end receiver to hear. | | | | Well the phone call sound quality is not guaranteed by |
| What is the call sound quality of VOIP services | | | | your VOIP broadband phone service provider and it is |
| generally? | | | | usually not as good as landline telephone call sound |
| VOIP phone call sound quality is usually better than | | | | quality. The other major drawback of a VOIP service |
| mobile phone call sound quality, but not as good as | | | | is that it will not work if your broadband connection |
| the sound quality of a standard landline telephone call. | | | | goes down so in effect your VOIP service is only as |
| What are the main benefits of having a VOIP | | | | good as your broadband connection. Also if you have |
| internet phone service? | | | | a power failure, then your broadband phone service |
| The main benefit of having a VOIP phone service is | | | | will not work, so it is highly recommended that you |
| the much lower cost of national and international | | | | keep your landline and have a landline phone plugged |
| telephone calls that you can make through the VOIP | | | | into it so you always have a phone available for |
| service. It is also possible to get free phone calls | | | | emergencies. |
| through some VOIP internet phone services . A VOIP | | | | |