Top Four VOIP Services
Originally, VoIP was designed primarily for business use. Since the connection is made through your Internet Provider rather than through the phone line, businesses were able to use VoIP to host long-distance conference calls and to communicate with overseas colleagues. Now, however, it seems that VoIP is heading in a different direction, possibly setting up to overtake normal telephone service providers entirely.
There are a few factors you should consider before switching to or adding VoIP:
1. 911 – If you plan to replace your telephone service with VoIP, make sure that you use a provider that offers E911 service, or you will be unable to make an emergency phone call. In most cases, E911 availability depends on where you live in conjunction with the provider; some areas cleared for VoIP service might not have E911 service as well.
2. Call Quality – Have you ever tried to have a conversation on your cell phone while traveling through rural mountain country? If you have, then you know what some VoIP service sounds like. In many cases, calls are crystal clear, but in others, you have to fight to listen through the static and broken links.
3. Primary Internet Use – If you are consistantly using your Broadband connection to download large files, such as video files, then it will affect your VoIP connection. VoIP is most easily used in connection with an Internet service used for regular, everyday tasks.
Best Deals
Here are some of the top-rated VoIP providers on the market today.
1. Vonage
If you watch television, then you’ve probably seen the commercials, and they don’t lie about excellent service and high quality. This is arguably the most well-known of the VoIP providers due to increased advertising. They have lots of extras including call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail and conference calling, though their quality is not quite as pure as that of AT&T. Currently, all subscribers enjoy 911 service, though they are trying to switch everyone to E911. The difference is that with E911, the emergency operator automatically sees your name and address pop up on their screen. Subscribers complain of only the occassional dropped call, and Vonage is working toward cleaning up even the slightest glitches in their service.
Price: $24.99/month Premium Unlimited; $49.99 Small Business Unlimited
Range: Unlimited calls in the U.S. and Canada
Order: www.vonage.com; 1.800.980.1455
2. BroadVoice
I don’t recommend switching to BroadVoice as a replacement to your traditional phone service because they do lack the feature of 911 call routing. However, this is a wonderful supplemental program for those needing to place international calls on a regular basis. With the unlimited package, you can call Europe, Tawain, Singapore, Australia and several other countries for free. Subscribers report clipped sentences as the major drawback for BroadVoice, but they also say that excellent customer service overrules this minor problem.
Price: $20.00/month
Range: Unlimited calls in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe, and several other countries.
Order: www.broadvoice.com; 213.634.1400
3. CallVantage (AT&T)
This is reportably the clearest VoIP service by all subscribers and reviewers. They also offer extra features that you might not find with Vonage or any of the other services, including call logging, voicemail, speed dial, fax support and “Do Not Disturb.” Approximately 52% of CallVantage subscribers currently have E911 service, but make sure it is available in your area before switching entirely from your traditional phone service. This is also one of the more expensive services, so carefully weigh the pros and cons before determining that CallVantage is right for you.
Price: $29.99/month
Range: Unlimited calls within U.S. and Canada
Order: www.usa.att.com; 1.866.816.3815
4. Skype
This is a great choice for small or home-based businesses. Skype is a free service that allows you to make free long-distance phone calls to anyone who also has Skype downloaded on their computer. There is no phone number portability, and phone calls to non-Skype users cost around $0.02/minute, but it is a great solution for a group of people who have downloaded the service onto their computer. The computer must be turned on in order to make or receive calls, and the voice quality is inconsistent at best. I do not recommend replacing your current telephone service with Skype, as there is no 911 service and Skype is far from universally-used.
Price: Free
Range: Anyone who has Skype service on their computer
Order: www.skype.com
