| While discussing money saving tips with some | | | | relatives. |
| colleagues today, all were amazed at the incredible | | | | Cheap International Calling |
| savings and benefits that are achieved by making | | | | All VoIP carriers offer extremely cheap |
| a simple switch to broadband phone service. For | | | | international rates, making internet phone service |
| people like me who have cable internet service (I | | | | the most economical way to talk to loved ones in |
| use Roadrunner), it makes good economical sense | | | | other countries. Some VoIP providers like Packet8 |
| to leverage this high speed internet connection | | | | and Lingo offer unlimited international calling plans |
| and also use it as a replacement for land-line | | | | as well. |
| telephone service. | | | | Portability of VoIP |
| Cost Savings with VoIP | | | | Another great benefit of broadband phone |
| Before switching to Packet8 VoIP service, I paid | | | | service is its portability. You can take your VoIP |
| around $40 a month for local telephone service | | | | phone with you wherever you move to, and can |
| and an average of $50 a month for long distance | | | | even keep the same number. All that's required |
| calls. Meanwhile I pay $40 a month for cable | | | | on your part is a broadband connection. You can |
| internet. My total monthly cost for internet plus | | | | also have several "virtual phone numbers", allowing |
| telephone averaged $130, or $1560 per year. Now | | | | you to have a main number in your local area |
| I use Packet 8 for unlimited local and long distance | | | | code and another number in a totally different |
| calling over my cable connection for only $24 per | | | | area code. This is really handy if you live far away |
| month (which includes all taxes, fees, and | | | | from family, but want to make it easy for them |
| enhanced 911 service). Combined with my $40 | | | | to stay in touch by providing them with a "local |
| per month cable internet cost, my total annual | | | | number to use. For businesses that want to have |
| expenditure for phone plus high speed internet is | | | | a local presence in different states, virtual |
| $888. Switching to internet phone service resulted | | | | numbers are the cheap way to do it. Most |
| in an instant savings of $672 per year for me. | | | | carriers charge around $5 a month for each |
| Additional Benefits of VoIP | | | | additional phone number. |
| In addition to the financial benefits of VoIP | | | | VoIP Quality |
| internet phone service, there are a lot of extra | | | | As for quality of service, I can personally vouch |
| "perks" that you get when you use broadband | | | | for Packet8 as this is the VoIP carrier I use. I |
| phone. All of the top VoIP providers include a rich | | | | have used Packet8 as my one and only internet |
| package of free telephone features with every | | | | phone service for more than a year now, and |
| internet phone service subscription. Although | | | | have never had any serious quality issues with |
| features vary from provider to provider, you can | | | | the service. Occasional issues such as "echo" or |
| expect to get the following features for free with | | | | "fast busy" can quickly be corrected by unplugging |
| just about any good VoIP provider: Voice mail, call | | | | the voip router for a minute. This "resets" the |
| waiting, caller id, call blocking, call forwarding, | | | | connection and has always cured any issue I have |
| voicemail to email, call return, three way | | | | had. If all else fails, Packet 8's technical support |
| conference calling, and online account | | | | staff is fast and efficient. |
| management/feature management (you can turn | | | | Judging from comments left on various VoIP user |
| on/off any features you want to totally | | | | forums, it seems that the larger VoIP providers |
| customize your telephone service). | | | | like Packet8, Sunrocket and Vonage are having |
| Unlimited Local and Long Distance | | | | fewer and fewer issues with quality of service as |
| Although most VoIP carriers offer a limited as | | | | time goes by. Internet phone service is still a |
| well as an unlimited calling plan, most people get | | | | relatively new technology, and quickly becoming |
| the unlimited local and long distance calling plan, | | | | the telephony method of choice for everyone. |
| which normally includes calls to Canada. It is | | | | Millions of people around the world use broadband |
| generally only a few dollars more a month to get | | | | phone and hundreds of new subscribers are |
| totally unlimited calling, which allows you to talk as | | | | added every day. VoIP providers (particularly the |
| long as you want for absolutely no additional | | | | big ones) are continually making improvements |
| charge. This is a nice feature to have, especially | | | | and enhancements to service in order to be your |
| when you have a lot of long distance friends and | | | | "VoIP carrier of choice". |