Telephones can now connect to your computer, allowing you to make a phone call over the Internet. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, or Internet phone calls, are now offered by a number of providers. The basic idea is that a phone call goes through a special adaptor which turns it into a packet of information that travels over the Internet. The packet of information changes back into a telephone signal before the receiver picks up the phone, so it sounds like a regular phone call. Internet telephone calls need a high speed Internet connection such as cable, T1, or DSL. A couple of great benefits of Internet telephone calling are that the call is much cheaper and you still receive all the same functions and clarity of a regular phone. Service for Internet phones offer the normal perks like caller ID, voicemail, and call waiting; and most of the time these services are free. Typically Internet telephone service comes cheaper than regular landline service because VoIP goes over the Internet, thus avoiding service charges associated with regular phone service. Home residents are not the only ones to benefit from VoIP, businesses can also receive great benefits. More than saving you money on line costs, broadband phone calls can be directed to a phone, rather than a location. This means if you have Internet service in two locations, you can take your phone with you (just as you would your mobile phone) and calls can be directed to whatever office you are in; and internal calls using your Internet phone system would still be free. Of course, downsides exist when making Internet calls. You have to deal with viruses and power outages and anything else that could happen with the Internet. Also, long distance calls are not free. Many companies which provide Internet phone service require you to use a separate phone number, complicating things a bit. All in all, as more people turn to broadband phones the services will get better and better, making Internet phone service an ever better option. |
Internet Phone Calls
