The Least You Should Know About Free
Long Distance Phone Service Via VoIP
By Michael Brock
Introduction
So you want to make free long distance phone calls, huh?
Well, thanks to the Internet and VoIP — NOW YOU CAN!
If you've never heard of VoIP before, then you need to know a few basic facts about it, in order to get the best experience using it.
Like...
What is VoIP?
Translated literally, "VoIP" is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol and is often hyphenated as in Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (a.k.a. Voice over IP or Voice-over-IP, respectively).
Or, in plain English, "VoIP" is simply phone service over the Internet.
How Does VoIP Work?
Technically speaking, Voice-over-IP is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice over the Internet or other packet-switched networks. VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice, rather than the protocol implementing it. This latter concept is also referred to as broadband phone, broadband telephony, IP telephony, Internet telephony and voice over broadband. Voice-over-Internet-Protocol systems carry telephony signals as digital audio, typically reduced in data rate using speech data compression techniques, encapsulated in a data-packet stream over IP.
Phew... Enough of the techie stuff, OK? Let's cut to the chase!
What Do You Need to Use VoIP?
Basically, you just need a computer (the newer, the better, of course), an adequate Internet connection (broadband works best), a microphone and speakers (or a hands-free headset), along with a Voice-over-IP service provider. If your Internet connection is sufficient, then you can get your phone service delivered to your computer via your Internet connection instead of from your local telephone company.
Indeed, if you have a broadband Internet connection, then you don't need to maintain and pay the additional cost for a line just to make phone calls (local or long distance).
What Are the Cons of Using VoIP?
Actually, there is only one pitfall to using Voice over Internet Protocol, which is that some VoIP vendors don't offer full 911 service, phone directory listings, 411 service, etc...
So, as an alternative, a lot of people use Voice-over-IP in combination with their regular home phone, since VoIP service providers usually offer much lower rates than the traditional telephone companies; especially, when it comes to long distance phone calls.
Why is VoIP Free?
In general, phone service via Voice-over-IP costs less than equivalent service from traditional sources for a variety of reasons.
But it is largely due to the established phone companies being either monopolies, government entities or both. And the Internet traverses their networks regardless, so it's a win-win situation for them either way.
There are also some cost savings due to using a single network to carry voice and data. This is especially true when Internet users have existing under-utilized network capacity that they can use for VoIP without any additional costs.
VoIP-to-VoIP phone calls are usually free (depending on the VoIP service provider), whereas Voice-over-IP calls connecting to public switched telephone networks (a.k.a. VoIP-to-PSTN) may have charges to the VoIP user.
Free VoIP vs. Paid VoIP
Because Voice-over-Internet-Protocol is digital, some VoIP service providers offer features that are not available with conventional telephone service (e.g., live streaming video conversations, video chat, video mail, etc.).
Of course, as the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for!" So some due diligence is highly recommended when choosing your Voice-over-IP service provider. And the premium VoIP vendors (the ones that charge a small monthly fee; usu. under $25.00 per month) may be your best bet when it comes to things like the sound quality of your calls, customer service, features provided, etc. Not to mention that some Voice-over-IP companies now offer bundled packages, which combine broadband Internet, cable television and/or VoIP together as one service (ranging in price but usu. around $100.00 a month or less).
Most paid Voice-over-IP plans allow you to talk for as long as you want with anybody in the world, providing the other person has an Internet connection and VoIP capabilities too. And, in most cases, you can also talk with many people at the same time without any additional cost. However, this is not always the case with free Voice-over-IP service providers. But if you're only concerned with making free long distance phone calls to out-of-state friends and family, then free VoIP should do just fine.
Where Do You Get VoIP for Free?
That's simple... Just do a search on Google for "free VoIP" (or similar), and you'll find tons of free Voice-over-IP service providers.
Click Here For More Info On Recommended Premium VoIP Services!
OR
Click Here For More Info On Recommended Free VoIP Services!
