The Basics Of VoIP – Is It A Smart Choice For You?

Voice-over-Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a relatively new option for your phone line. Switching to VoIP, rather than using a landline or mobile phone, can save you a lot of money on your monthly phone bill. VoIP is especially popular with people who make a lot of international phone calls, because it is significantly cheaper than international rates for landlines and mobile phones. If you’re thinking about using VoIP, here is some more introductory information about it.

 How VoIP Works

VoIP allows you to make phone calls by using your home or work Internet connection. You can subscribe to VoIP through many different providers, and there are several different ways it can work. If you want your landline to work with VoIP, you will need to connect an adapter to it. If you want to use VoIP over your smartphone, you will download your provider’s mobile app. You can also use VoIP right from your computer by downloading your provider’s desktop software. Any of these solutions can provide high quality VoIP communication.

 Reliability

One of the biggest concerns that people have with VoIP is whether or not it is reliable. In general, VoIP is very reliable. Because it uses your Internet connection, it works whenever your Internet works. If you frequently lose your Internet connection, your VoIP would go in and out, too. However, if you have a strong Internet connection that rarely gives you connection problems, your VoIP would likely be just as reliable to use as that.

 Quality

Many people are also worried about the quality of VoIP phone calls. In the past, VoIP phone calls may have had poor audio quality compared to landlines. However, there have been many improvements in VoIP technology, and the quality of VoIP calls is generally very good now. Different VoIP providers will offer different levels of call quality, though, so it’s important to do thorough research and choose a provider that’s popular and well-respected. You should also choose a company that has a reputation for good and reliable customer service.

Concerns

An important thing to consider about VoIP, however, is that if it is your only means of using the phone, you could be in trouble. In an emergency situation, like a power outage, for example, you might not have access to VoIP and would be unable to call for help if necessary. It is recommended by VoIP providers that their service is not used as a replacement for an emergency phone service for this very reason. You also need to register your address with your VoIP so that if you call 911, emergency operators will be able to automatically know what address you are calling from. If you use your phone frequently for business, being unable to access VoIP could negatively impact your business too. Because of all these reasons, it’s often a good idea to keep your landline in addition to your VoIP so that you have backup access to the phone line service should you ever need it.

Author Bio: The author of this article Kate Rogers thinks that VOIP may well become the most important feature in modern mobile phones