With the recent development of ATAs (Analog Telephone Adapters), the process of making a VoIP call is no different on the surface than that of making a regular call. You simply pick up a phone, listen for the dial tone, and make a call. No PC is required, and the quality is likely just as good as the old way. However, there are still some underlying differences that you should be aware of.
One difference with VoIP service is that your broadband Internet connection has to be up and running. With the reliability of today’s ISPs, this is not usually a problem, but does bear noting. If your ISP is experiencing problems, you may not be able to place a call using VoIP.
Another difference is what happens during a power outage. You have likely experienced a power outage in your area, picked up the phone and found that it still worked. This is due to the fact that most local telephone companies have large backup generators which provide power during an outage. Some ISPs have this same type of backup capability, but you should check with your ISP to see if this is the case for your broadband Internet access.
Even if your broadband connection is still active during a power outage, you will not have power to your broadband modem or to the ATA on your phone. This problem can be solved by using a UPS for these devices, but still needs to be considered. Your cell phone might be a more cost effective way of ensuring communications during a power outage.
911 service is another area where VoIP may be different than your local telephone company service. The availability of service to local 911 operators via a VoIP connection varies. While most VoIP service providers include 911 routing service, it may not provide the same capability (such as reporting your address) as the regular 911 phone service. If you plan to rely on your VoIP connection for emergency service, you should investigate carefully before choosing a provider. A lot of people choose to keep basic service on their regular phone just for emergencies. In addition, a cell phone can be used to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
Another difference that needs to be considered with VoIP service is available bandwidth. If you have a home network and someone else is downloading large files, this may temporarily lower the available bandwidth enough to affect voice quality. It would be a good idea to check the total bandwidth capability of your connection and compare this against what your VoIP service provider recommends. Make sure that there is enough extra bandwidth available to handle normal access to the Internet for your home network.
Most of the other differences in VoIP service are in the form of distinct advantages. Features such as virtual phone numbers or web access to voice mail either do not exist with regular telephone service, or cost too much to be considered. Another such feature is the ability to place calls to multiple parties. This can be done at no additional cost with most VoIP service providers. With a regular telephone company, placing a simple 3-way call can be quite costly.
As you can see, the differences between VoIP and regular telephone service are disappearing quickly. Keep in mind that, since VoIP technology is rapidly evolving, some of the differences discussed here may well be gone tomorrow. In particular, VoIP providers are devoting a lot of resources to resolving 911 issues.
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