Miscellaneous VoIP Information
There is much talk about the fact that telephony has entered a new era with the arrival of VoIP, and how this technology has changed the world of telecommunications. But VoIP itself is changing constantly – or rather, improving constantly. The speed of change is so high that products are often released and marketed before the legal framework can be altered so as to contain regulations referring to these products.
There are several applications or, in a broader sense, situations in which VoIP is the leading actor.
The first group of such applications is that of instant messaging programs. If you have a computer, a headset, and a broadband connection, you can take advantage of the VoIP amenities without paying anything, because PC-to-PC calls are still offered for free by instant messaging applications. Among the favourites are Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and ICQ. A more recent one is Google’s new instant messaging program, Google Talk. If you want one that offers PC-to-phone calling as well, you can try Skype, but this type of calling service functions on a prepaid basis. The rates are low, however, and it’s a good way to get accustomed to what VoIP means.
If you have tried it and decided that VoIP is the thing for you, you can sign up for a VoIP account with one of the many service providers available. You’ll be surprised to see that VoIP not only includes the features that come as extras with regular landline phones, but you won’t even have to pay anything for them. Services such as voicemail, call forwarding and transferring, call waiting, and others are seamlessly integrated in your VoIP service package. Details will vary from one provider to another, so you need to review several offers before you make a decision.
With VoIP, it is possible to keep your old telephone number, so that all those who currently have it will be able to reach you immediately on your new phone. But your freedom goes even further: you can choose your area code. If you’re a home user, this has clear benefits for those friends or family members who live in a different area: by choosing to have the same area code as theirs, they will be able to call you for local charges. If you have a company that needs a lot of telephone communication with customers, it will be much more convenient for them to call you for the same reason.
One issue that has given people a lot of doubts about whether or not to make the switch is the notorious incompatibility with the 911 tracing system. Due to the fact that 911 was designed for landline telephony and VoIP is actually something completely different, the emergency dispatcher will not be able to locate a call originating from a VoIP phone. At most, they will be able to identify the Internet service provider, which of course has no relevance in cases where urgent interventions are needed. Mobile telephony was faced with the same problem, but the implementation of the Enhanced 911 system managed to solve it. With VoIP, however, the issue is more complex and, even though some progress has been made, no complete solution has been found yet. When you get your VoIP number, you can register it with E-911, so that they will know your name and location. However, since VoIP also allows freedom of movement, the information becomes irrelevant if you are using your phone in a place that you have not yet registered. This is why all VoIP providers are required to inform their future subscribers about the risks involved. If you sign up for the service, you will be asked to sign as statement saying that you are aware of the problem.
If you’re one of those people that like to have the newest cell phone, you should consider the option of a hybrid one. What exactly is it? Well, VoIP phones can also work on wireless networks (the so-called VoWiFi phones), allowing you more freedom of movement, but still restricting your communication capabilities to those areas where Internet access is available. A hybrid phone can work both as a VoWiFi phone and as a cell phone. This means you can avoid roaming charges and enjoy low calling fees when you’re in a wireless hotspot, because your phone will then use VoIP. When you are no longer in the range of the hotspot, your phone automatically switches to cellular telephony, so that you can stay reachable all the time. Sprint, Vonage, and Verizon are among the best known companies currently producing such cutting edge phones.
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Miscellaneous VoIP Information
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