| Is The Cost of Internet Telephony Too Good To | | | | need to be maintained. |
| Be True? | | | | Note: In some states you may also find that you |
| This is a question I've been asked several times: | | | | are not required to pay any taxes on an Internet |
| "How can they charge so much less than my old | | | | telephone. |
| phone line?" | | | | Business VoIP |
| A telephone line is more than just dial tone. Behind | | | | For businesses, a Voice Over IP telephone |
| that telephone is an entire army of individuals to | | | | system can mean even more savings. No longer |
| ensure the dial tone gets to your home or | | | | will you have to hire a service company to come |
| business. The wires that run from your home to | | | | in and move wires when you need to move |
| the telephone companies central office needs to | | | | people around. With VoIP, it's as simple as |
| be installed and then maintained. This is one of the | | | | unplugging the telephone from the data jack and |
| largest expenses of providing dial tone to your | | | | moving it to a new location. Additionally, the new |
| home. | | | | VoIP systems have developed programming |
| Now, if you are considering Broadband Internet | | | | interfaces to the point that much of your |
| Telephone Service, you will need to have high | | | | telephone system changes can be done in house |
| speed internet in your home. In many cases this | | | | without bringing in a phone service rep. For many |
| is provided by your Cable TV service or via DSL. | | | | small businesses this can mean substantial yearly |
| Again, these wires need to be installed and | | | | savings. |
| maintained to provide high-speed Internet service | | | | The Bottom Line |
| to your home. | | | | If you already have both high-speed Internet |
| The cost of this is covered when you pay your | | | | access and a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) |
| bill to the cable company or DSL provider. The | | | | line, then you are paying more than you need to. |
| cost is roughly similar for maintaining the cable | | | | Your existing telephone number could easily be |
| infrastructure. For VoIP what this means then, is | | | | carried by your High Speed Internet service and |
| that your Internet telephone can have a free ride | | | | you would no longer be paying two companies to |
| to your home since your cable or DSL bill has | | | | maintain separate wires into your home or |
| already been paid. No additional wires or cables | | | | business. |