I had a customer ask a VoIP question, so I thought I’d post it and the answer here:
Hello, I’m looking to get rid of my land line if I don’t need it or switch to another company besides Verizon. My dilemma is this. We have a PC that uses a modem to access Verizon Internet Service and if we get rid of the landline, we don’t know if the PC can be updated to use another Internet Service without a modem. Can it or does the PC have to be updated with something that enables it to access via wireless in order to use a VoIP service? If we can’t get rid of the land line, I’ll look for a land line service provider with internet service.
All high speed internet service comes with a modem, so if you switch to a different carrier, you can just get a different modem, or use the one you have if you own it. VoIP works with high speed internet service, and it very easy to set up. Most of the time you just plug a router into your modem, and then hook your PC to the router. The you plug in your phone and you’re done. Phonepower has a diagram on the bottom of their hardware page that shows how it works: Visit PhonePower, then click the hardware link in the menu.
What I would suggest, would be to ask Verizon how much it would be for just the high speed internet service. Then, use the tool at the top of the home phone service provider’s page to see who else offers high speed internet service in your area, and how much they are charging. After that, I’d sign up with an internet phone service provider for phone service, my 2 favorites are Magicjack and Phonepower. Magicjack is $20 per year for unlimited local and long distance calling in the US and Canada, and Phone power is $15 per month for the same thing.
Look out Skype, Magicjack is getting ready to kick your behind. Magicjack’s creator, Daniel Borislow, is coming out with a new product next month, called MagicTalk. MagicTalk will be a SIP service like Skype, and will make it so that millions of people will have access to MagicJack’s service, without having to actually buy the MagicJack device.
MagicJack’s creator, Daniel Borislow, merged his company YMAX, with the VoIP company VocalTec last week, which means that MagicJack now belongs to a publicly traded company. I know that a ton of telecom professionals have made fun of the MagicJack over the years, but I’ve always though it was a cool product, and I’ve should know, since I have one in my office. With a move to the NASDAQ, MagicJack should have more clout, and should finally get the respect it deserves.
Colorado’s Gov. Bill Ritter has decided to let the FCC answer the question of whether or not to regulate VoIP in Colorado. And, to let the Colorado’s Public Utilities Department handle the question of whether or not to lower Qwest’s level of regulation so that the landline phone company can better compete with cable phone companies like Comcast, and voice over IP phone companies like Vonage and Phonepower.
Internet phone companies like Vonage, Phonepower and Magicjack don’t have any taxes or regulation per se, other than the 3% federal excise tax and free market pressures . When a VoIP company offers crappy phone service, their customers talk about it, and they either fix their problems quickly, or they go under. That’s one of the good things and bad things about being a technology product; your customers can make or break you online in the blink of an eye.
While VoIP companies like Comcast can change their digital phone plans and fees instantly, to mirror the moods of their customers, landline phone companies like Qwest can’t. Qwest has to take any rate increases or decreases to the FCC, and then wait for that big chunk of worthlessness to get back to them in an untimely manner. Qwest is also required to collect taxes for every local, state and federal governement that decides that killing landline phone service in the United States is the best way to make money for the local school system, dog park or other “PET” projects.
In all fairness, since there really isn’t any way to regulate VoIP, and I sure don’t want to see the FCC get their grubby little hands on this cool piece of technology, landline phone companies such as Qwest and AT&T should be let off the telecom regulation hook. Let them compete fairly with VoIP companies, and if they can’t survive, then let them die.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is on a collision course with broadband internet service providers, Congress, the Senate, and everyone and anyone who believes in an unregulated internet. Chairman Genachowski is making a bid to increase his, and the FCC’s, power, by placing broadband internet services under the same regulations as those imposed on telephone companies.
While the scuffle started over an April court decision that undermined some of the FCC’s “assumed” power over broadband services, the Chairman’s push to get control of the internet, and what goes on there, could end up hurting the American economy during a time when the economy is trying to pull itself out of a national and global economic slump. By regulating and taxing what has always been a free economic zone of creation, Chairman Genachowski’s bid for power, could end up costing Americans thousands of jobs, and curtailing new research and development in new online endeavors.
If Chairman Genachowski gets control of the internet, and with it, the ability to regulate and tax broadband phone service providers, online television providers, online radio stations and others, like they do landline phone service, where is the benefit for the American people? As the internet stands now, it’s a hotbed for research and development of new products, technology and innovations that provide thousands of high paying jobs that might not happen if another federal bureaucrat decides that he knows best.
The question that people need to ask themselves is: “When was the last time the American people gave control of something to a federal bureaucrat, and got something better in return?”
It’s time to get rid of your local phone service and replace it with digital phone service. Digital phone service, otherwise known as VoIP phone service, is phone service that works over a high speed internet connection instead of a regular phone line. By using your high speed internet connection, you can save hundreds, or thousands, of dollars per year for your home and/or business.
The savings comes from a lower cost of infrastructure for the VoIP phone company, and from a drastic cut in taxes. Regular land line phone companies have to maintain their phone lines and their switching stations, while VoIP companies only have to make sure that the home owner’s router is working correctly, and that their software is routing the calls correctly; the cost difference is astonomical. The tax savings come from the fact that the only tax that VoIP phone companies have to pay, is the 3% federal telecom tax. This is extremely lower than the average %15 to 20% in taxes paid by people who have land line service and are being taxes by their local cities, counties and states.
If you are interested in keeping your current telephone number, most voIP companies can now transfer your current local number to their control, so that you can continue using it. Or, if you want a number in another place, like New York City, or Los Angeles, then the VoIP company can hook you up with a local number from there. This works really great if you need to look like you’re in the big city, when you’re really out in Walla Walla, Washington, or Timbucktoo.
Another great thing about internet phone service is that it comes with free long distance calls to anyone in the US or Canada, and if you leave the country, you can plug in your router anywhere there is high speed internet service, and you will be able to make and recieve calls free of charge, just the same as if you were still in the United States.
I’ve used MagicJack in the office for the last couple of years, and even though I’v pulled my telephone number off of the website, and don’t answer the phone any more, MagicJack still emails me my voicemails. While lots of people use MagicJack as a second phone line, more and more small office/home office guys like me are starting to use it as an office phone. With mine, I even have a toll free number from a regular phone company that rings into my MagicJack number. And the really cool thing about that is that I live in Washington state, but my MagicJack phone number is for Wisconsin, which has the cheapest instate toll free service from my toll free company. I did this so that no matter where people live, if they call my toll free number, I’m paying less than 3 cents per minute for the call.
Another cool thing about MagicJack is that since it’s a SIP service, if you plug the MagicJack box into a computer, anywhere in the world with high speed internet access, you can plug a phone into it, and it will work just like you’re in the states. I can be sitting in McDonalds in Mexico City, using their free WiFi through my laptop, and answering toll free customer service calls from the states for the same 3 cents per minute it would cost me if I were in Washington, Oregon, California, Florida, Texas, New York or Timbuktu.
If you want to compare the price of MagicJack to the price of other VoIP and landline services, use the Rate Search Tool at the top of www.Calling-Plans.com main page.
If you are considering investing in a new phone system for your small to medium-sized business, a VoIP system (such as the Avaya IP Office) may just be the system for you.A VoIP system can provide a myriad of benefits that can meet all your voice and data needs.
Reduced Call Costs – VoIP systems are often much cheaper than traditional telephone lines since it eliminates long distance charges and remote offices and employees are connected through the same phone network. In fact, most employees can be reached through a three- or four-digit extension from the main phone number no matter where they are located.
Reduced Maintenance – Combining data and voice into one network allows you to simplify your communications management and do it all from one location. You can also easily perform tasks such as adding or changing extensions without any hefty maintenance costs or technical know-how.
Enhanced Customer Service – A VoIP system allows you to answer calls and respond to customer inquiries quickly, keeping customers happy and encouraging patron loyalty. It also enables you to efficiently route calls and offers customer service-rich features such as auto attendant, call forwarding, and conferencing capabilities.
Enhance Existing Equipment – One of the most convenient and cost-efficient things about a VoIP system is there are a handful of different ways to get the system up and running, apt for business and budgets of all sizes. Many VoIP providers can provide phones (both IP and digital) and hardware that can be integrated with your existing technology which means you don’t have to invest in entirely new equipment.
The UK is currently 6th on the list of worldwide nations with the most broadband subscribers, sitting just behind France with over 17.5 million users. Over the next three years in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, that number is set to increase dramatically. The Government`s Digital Britain initiative aims to pipe or broadcast broadband into every household in the UK, with a minimum speed target of 2Mbps. For some this is a conservative estimate of the broadband market in the coming years, with much higher connection speeds currently available to large numbers of customers via ADSL, Cable and Mobile broadband options. These three main technologies are constantly jockeying for consumer attention and as such there are a wide range of providers and plans with great value service and high-tech capabilities. We shall look at each technology in turn and analyse the providers and services available.
ADSL broadband utilised BT landline connections and as such is the most popular and widely available. There are many different providers on offer and speeds vary between a maximum of 8Mbps and 24Mbps depending on where you live and which provider you choose. Big names such as BT and Tiscali occupy the mainstream market and offer additional services such as digital TV and home phone tacked on as part of broadband bundles.
Cable Broadband is available in over 50% of UK households and the sole consumer provider is Virgin Media. Cable broadband can achieve speeds of up to 50Mbps, but cheaper, more modestly priced packages offering slower speeds of between 2Mbps-20Mbps are available from Virgin Media. Fibre optic underground cable networks provide the service and like ADSL you will need to pay line rental on top of your monthly broadband package costs.
Mobile broadband is the most recent addition to the list of broadband services available in the UK. It utilises 3G mobile networks and requires no fixed line connection. As such you can use a mobile broadband connection anywhere in the country which is well-serviced by 3G networks. All of the major mobile phone operators provide mobile broadband services, as well as BT and Virgin Media. Speeds vary depending on the package you choose and the technology available, but theoretical maximums of between 3.6Mpbs to 7.2Mpbs are common. This is the first truly wireless broadband solution and is suitable for students, those living in rented accommodation, travelling businesspersons and light broadband users who will not be limited by the monthly data allowances which most packages have in place.
AT&T and Verizon are both getting out of the residential VoIP game. They have both announced that they will no longer sign up new customers, and their current customers should be looking for new providers. Callvantate belongs to AT&T, and Voicewing is Verizon’s failed VoIP attempt.
Current customers of Callvantage or Voicewing, who are going to need new internet phone service, or who are switching back to land line service, should visit Calling-Plans.com’s Internet Phone Service and Local Phone Service pages.
