An Overview Of VoIP Providers

An Overview of VoIP Providers

Though VoIP emerged almost 10 years ago, it took a while before it came to be viewed as a viable alternative to PSTN. The recent period has witnessed, however, a rapid development, both as concerns the technical issues and regarding the number of home users and companies switching to VoIP for their telecommunications needs. The main aspects that make it so irresistible to many people are the significantly reduced costs and the ability to integrate many other facilities, thus enhancing the communication experience. In this article, we’re going to take a look at ten most popular VoIP service providers, so that you can get a better idea of what to expect if you decide to make the switch.

A true benchmark in the world of VoIP communications, Skype is a very popular program, free to download from the Internet and easy to install. It features compatibility with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. It uses so little bandwidth that it even works on dial-up (though, of course, a broadband connection would be a much better choice) and it boasts better functionality across different kinds of network connections than other VoIP programs – many VoIP programs experience difficulties with NAT and firewalls, but Skype usually won’t be hindered. You can make free Pc-to-PC calls and, for a small fee, you can also make calls from your PC to regular telephones (the service is called Skype Out). Skype in will enable other people to call you from telephones, and you have the attractive option of choosing an area code that you prefer, thus helping other people save money when calling you.

Vonage, on the other hand, is among the most expensive providers. They are, however, also one of the best known ones and have a reputation to be proud of. There are two plans you can choose – residential and small business. The residential plan comes in two versions: the Basic 500 version, which gives you 500 minutes of calling for a monthly fee of $14.99, and the Unlimited version, which will not set any limit to your calling minutes, for $24.99 a month. For small businesses, there are two options available: the Basic plan, which includes 1500 free minutes within a fee of $39.99 per month, and the Unlimited plan, which allows unlimited free calls to the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada, for $49.99 per month.

A new friend of Yahoo’s, having recently merged with the top e-mail and instant messaging provider, Dialpad is an Internet telephony provider with three plans to offer. One is the Dialpad Monthly 300. at the rate of $7.50 per month, this is the most inexpensive of them. The next one is Dialpad Monthly 500, for a monthly fee of $9.99, and the third plan is Dialpad USA, for $11.99 per month.

Another VoIP provider worthy of your attention is Broadvox Direct. They too offer plans for residential users as well as for small businesses. There are two versions of the residential plan, Residential Choice Plus and Residential Unlimited. The former costs $9.95 per month and offers 100 free outbound minutes and an unrestricted number of inbound minutes. The latter costs $29.99 per month and allows unlimited outbound calls in the US and Canada. As for the business plans, there is a Regional and an Unlimited version. The Regional plan is available for a monthly fee of $34.95 and gives you 1500 minutes free per month in the US and Canada, while the Unlimited version costs $10 more and allows unlimited calling in the US and Canada, while adding a free fax line and a listing in the Yellow Pages.

Galaxy Voice has fewer plans to choose from, but their offer deserves to be taken into account. There is a Residential plan available at $19.95, which allows unlimited calling and integrates such features as voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, call return and forwarding, and 3-way calling. The business plan has a monthly fee of $39.95 per month and adds to the offer such amenities as voicemail, call transfer, call forwarding, repeat dialling, and call block, all for no extra charge.

Voice Pulse will draw your attention with three plans. America Unlimited and Local Unlimited+200 are the residential plans, with monthly fees of $24.99 and $14.99 respectively. The Business Unlimited plan is available at $45.99 per month.

VoIP American will offer their PBX plan for $19.99 per month or $44.99 if it includes unlimited calling. There is a VoIP Voice Residential Basic plan, with a monthly fee of $14.99, and a VoIP Voice Residential Unlimited, available for $29.99 per month. Their business plan is called bVoice and the fee is $34.99 per month.

Packet 8 is another well known name in the field of VoIP communications. Like the others, they target home users as well as businesses, but their business plans are more diverse than what we’ve seen so far. Residential users can choose between the Freedom International and Freedom Unlimited plans, both for a monthly fee of $19.99. The latter offers videophone facilities. For businesses, there are three versions available: Virtual Office for 19.95 per month, Virtual Attendant for $14.95 per month, and Business Attendant for $34.95 per month.

With Sun Rocket, you can choose to make monthly or yearly payments. The monthly fee is $24.95, while the yearly fee is $199.00.

Speakeasy is more expensive, but it offers a whole range of plans for businesses. Depending on their size and communication needs, companies can choose between the Home Office plan ($79.90 per month), the Small Office I plan ($560.00 per month), Small Office II ($1,039 per month), and Small Business ($2,349 per month).

You now have an idea of what’s available on the market. Go on with some careful research and find the best offer for you. Then you will truly benefit from the cost-effectiveness and increased convenience that VoIP can offer.

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