What is VoIP

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone services make it possible to send telephone calls over the Internet rather than over a traditional network of telephone lines, or PSTN (Public Service Telephone Network).

What are the benefits of VoIP?

VoIP, or voice over IP, presents many benefits that are not available or not as easily accessible with regular telephone service providers. The first, most obvious benefit is savings: VoIP allows a user to call anyone, anywhere in the world, from his or her PC, without the burden of expensive long-distance charges. Most VoIP service providers offer the same low rate no matter where you call or a discounted rate for calling certain countries. For this reason, people who make frequent international and long distance calls often choose VoIP. Secondly, VoIP often offers features like voicemail, caller ID, call blocking, call conferencing and call waiting at no additional charge, whereas many traditional telephone service providers often charge per feature. VoIP also gives the user greater flexibility by allowing the user to use his or her telephone number from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection and VoIP adapter. This is a huge selling point for people who travel frequently for work or pleasure.

What are the drawbacks of VoIP?

Like any relatively new technology, VoIP is still being improved, and there are several known drawbacks to using VoIP. Specifically, while a good VoIP provider generally provides good call quality, sometimes call quality may suffer, and you may experience delays, echoes and random noise. Similarly, with VoIP your telephone service is dependent on your Internet connection, and if your Internet connection goes down for some reason, you will be unable to place a call. Finally, not all VoIP providers offer emergency 911 calls like traditional telephone service providers do. This is often due to the problems that arise when trying to match an IP address to a physical address, and unless the IP address has been registered with corresponding physical address, there is no way to identify the location of the emergency caller. However, VoIP companies are evolving and emergency calls could eventually become a universal VoIP feature.

Additional Resources

Ifbyphone Glossary

Ifbyphone Blog

Ifbyphone Services