Ever come across a site that claims broadband phone is also
known as VoIP or vise verse? Or a web page that explains
PC-to-phone is VoIP? How about Internet phone service? VoIP
right? Wrong! VoIP is neither broadband phone, PC-to-phone
or Internet phone service. It's time to set the record
straight once and for all.
VoIP is an abbreviation for Voice over Internet Protocol.
VoIP is a technology that makes such things as broadband
phone service, PC-to-phone, and Internet phone service
possible by using the Internet to send and receive phone
calls. The technology is VoIP while the means are broadband
phone or PC-to-phone and the like.
So now we know what broadband phone isn't, I suppose this
would be a good place to explain what it is, exactly.
Broadband phone service as discussed before, uses VoIP
technology to send and receive phone calls using your
regular everyday household touch tone corded or wireless
telephone.
Technically broadband phone service doesn't even need your
computer to work, you just need a broadband Internet
connection, and both DSL or cable broadband will work.
You'll also need a broadband telephone adaptor to plug your
phone line into instead of the usual wall jack. Pretty
simple huh?
What broadband phone service allows you to do is bypass your
telephone company, and connect your call directly to the
same grid your phone company uses. Can you guess what that
is? Right, the Internet. All this time your phone company
has charged you just to connect your call to the Internet!
What a rip off, right?
Now just wait, it gets better. So far Uncle Sam and the
telcos have not been able to tax or collect on sir charges
as had been the case for many years with your landline phone
company. Right now additional charges are very minimal. Did
you know that taxes and hidden fee's can make up as much as
20% of your landline phone bill?
Now on to PC-to-phone service. PC-to-phone works in much the
same way broadband phone works, but without an adapter.
Instead you just need a headset or speakers and microphone
and PC-to-phone software installed on your computer. You can
use PC-to-phone to call someones phone from your computer,
and sometimes people can even call your computer.
Now before you get excited, PC-to-phone is not free. The
cent per minute rates are low for long distance, but you
normally get charged the same amount for a local call. Whats
worse, PC-to-phone services actually do no service for you
at all. It uses the software that you downloaded and host on
your computer to track your calls, and doesn't cost them a
penny when you make a call. You're just paying for the
software over, and over, and over again.
Internet phone service is just a vague term for broadband
and PC-to-phone type services. So now that you know what
VoIP is not, and what broadband phone service and
PC-to-phone is, why are you still using that landline phone?
Broadband phone service is without any doubt the cheapest
phone service on the planet and is the best way to take
advantage of VoIP technology. Not to mention, it finally
gives you a way to "stick it" to your phone company.
