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VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and it is the technology which makes it possible to make telephone calls over your broadband internet connection instead of through the traditional telephone network. There are a variety of telecommunications companies now providing VOIP phone services which allow you to make cheap or sometimes free telephone calls through your internet connection.

So how does a VOIP phone service work?

VOIP internet telephone services convert normal speech into small data packets which can then be transmitted through your internet connection and then when the data packets are received at the other end, they are converted back into normal speech for the end receiver to hear.

What is the call sound quality of VOIP services generally?

VOIP phone call sound quality is usually better than mobile phone call sound quality, but not as good as the sound quality of a standard landline telephone call.

What are the main benefits of having a VOIP internet phone service?

The main benefit of having a VOIP phone service is the much lower cost of national and international telephone calls that you can make through the VOIP service. It is also possible to get free phone calls through some VOIP internet phone services . A VOIP phone service can save you a good deal of money, especially if you make lots of international telephone calls. Another way you can save money with a VOIP service is that you can have a virtual phone number which you can take with you which in effect gives you a local call number which you can move from place to place, so you could live in Seattle and use your local number for Seattle when you are in San Francisco saving you the cost of long distance calls.

What do I need to have to get a VOIP phone service?

You need to have a broadband internet connection and an account with a VOIP telephone service provider.

What are the disadvantages of a VOIP service?

Well the phone call sound quality is not guaranteed by your VOIP broadband phone service provider and it is usually not as good as landline telephone call sound quality. The other major drawback of a VOIP service is that it will not work if your broadband connection goes down so in effect your VOIP service is only as good as your broadband connection. Also if you have a power failure, then your broadband phone service will not work, so it is highly recommended that you keep your landline and have a landline phone plugged into it so you always have a phone available for emergencies.

By Miguel Poza