VoIP Providers The Top 7

Voice Over IP (VoIP) is the new phone system technology. It’s
valued for cheap prices and cost effectiveness. It offers many
of the same calling features as regular landline services at
typically no extra cost. VoIP allows users the freedom to use
their high-speed Internet connection to integrate their phone,
audio, video, and web browsing capabilities into one
application. Because of these new trends, VoIP providers are
adding new products and services daily.

Here is a list and details of the top 7 VoIP providers with
costs:

1. Skype (Ebay - New Owner)

Skype is famous VoIP provider with the slogan, “The Whole World
can Talk for Free”. Skype is a free download and users can make
free calls via, Skype to Skype. For a fee, you can advance your
Skype to Skype Out and make calls to landline phones. Skype In
will let your choose your area code and phone number. This way,
friends and relatives can call you locally, if you select the
same area code. Skype is compatible with the leading operations
systems - Windows, Linux, Macs and Pocket PCs.

2. Broadvox Direct

Broadvox Direct VoIP providers offers small business and
residential services. Their residential services include the
Residential Choice Plus plan for $10.00 per month. The
Residential Choice Plus plan includes 100 outbound minutes and
unlimited incoming minutes. Their Residential Unlimited Plan
costs $30.00 a month and includes unlimited calling anywhere in
the US and Canada. The Small Business (SOHO) Regional Plan costs
$35.00 per month and includes 1500 monthly minutes in the US and
in Canada. The SoHo Small Business Unlimited Plan costs $45 per
month and includes unlimited calls in the US and Canada and also
includes a free fax line and Yellow Page listing.

3. Vonage

Probably the most well known VoIP providers, you may be
surprised to discover that Vonage is also one of the more
expensive providers. Vonage offers two plans, residential and
small business. Residential users may choose between the Basic
500 plan and Unlimited. The Basic 500 plan offers 500 minutes of
talk time for $15.00 a month. The Premium Unlimited residential
plan costs $25.00 per month.

The SOHO Basic plan costs $40.00 per month and allows 1500
minutes. The Small Business Unlimited plan costs $50.00 a month
and provides unlimited calls throughout the United States,
Puerto Rico, and Canada.

4. Dialpad

Yahoo and Dialpad have merged services. There is trend amongst
VoIP providers to consolidate their services. Currently, Dialpad
offers 3 service plans: Dialpad Monthly 300, Dialpad Monthly
500, and Dialpad USA. The cost for Dialpad Monthly 300 is $7.50,
Dialpad Monthly 500 costs $10 and Dialpad USA costs about
$12.00/month.

5. Galaxy Voice

Galaxy Voice offers two plans, Residential and Business. Their
residential plan costs about $20.00 a month and includes
unlimited calling, Voicemail, Caller Id, Call Waiting, Call
Return, Three Way Calling, and Call Forwarding. Their business
plan costs $40.00 per month and includes unlimited calling, Free
Voice Mail, Free Call Transfer, Free Call Forwarding, Free
Repeat Dialling, and Free Caller ID block.

6. Packet 8

Packet 8 offers phone and videophone plans. One of the few VoIP
providers to offer both services. Their residential plans are
the Freedom International and Freedom Unlimited. Both of these
plans cost $19/month. Their business plans consists of three
different plans. These are the Virtual Office service plans, the
Virtual Attendant Service plans, and the Business Phone Service
plans. The Virtual office phone plan costs $19 per month, the
Virtual Attendant service plan costs $14 per month, and the
Business plan costs $35.00 per month.

7. VoIP American

VoIP American one of the biggest VoIP providers and has 3
different plans. These are the VoIP American PBX plan, the VoIP
Voice and bVoice plans. The VoIP American PBX plan cost $19.00 a
month for a private line and $44.00 a month for unlimited
calling. The VoIP Voice Residential Basic plan costs
$14.00/month and Residential Unlimited plan costs $29.00/month.

VoIP providers are increasing in number with growing competition
amongst the various VoIP providers prices will start to come
down even further. The quality of the voice calls is getting
better and now video calls is becoming the standard offering by
the VoIP Providers. Talk will be cheap!

What Is Internet Telephonys

When the Internet is used for communications by voice, facsimile, or video conferencing the process is called Internet telephony. Known as voice over the Internet VoI or voice over IP, VoIP, in this system, sound is converted into digital packets that are then transmitted over the internet to the receiver where it is once again converted into sound or text.

All one needs is a multimedia computer, a high speed Internet connection, a sound card, speakers, and a microphone. Since it reduces telecommunication costs significantly, many individuals and businesses are adopting this system. The charges of internet telephony are not dependant on the distance but just a flat fixed rate for use of bandwidth. The only thing is that both you and the person you are calling will need to have the same or compatible software.

First introduced in 1995 the PC-to-PC telephony is set to grow from US$ 1.96 billion in 2003 to US$9.08 billion in 2007. Industry experts predict that over half the phone traffic in the world will be based on IP protocol.

To use the VoIP system, all you need is a regular phone, an adapter, broadband Internet service, and a subscription to a VoIP service. All your offices on a LAN or WAN can benefit from a common phone system with extension dialing, seamless call transfers, voice mail, caller ID, conference calls, music-on-hold, free phone calls, as well as ability to transfer data.

Even while making or receiving calls, you can surf the web or use other web based applications. You will also be able to retain your existing PSTN phone number if the provider you use has this facility. A VoIP provider is a telecommunications company that will handle the technical aspects of the calls and provide the interconnection between VoIP and PSTN networks. Internal calls are transmitted as data on your company network while external calls are transmitted through the network to a gateway which in turn connects to a public telephone network.

The advantages of Internet telephony are numerous the first being cost effectiveness. With a high speed internet connection phone calls can be made all over the world for almost free. By signing up with a VoIP provider you can get unlimited calls within the country at very low costs. The system is portable and you can take the headset or internet phone along with you when traveling. When plugged in to an internet connection anywhere in the world you can both make and receive calls at no extra costs. Wonderful features like call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, caller ID, and three –way calling are all included with the Internet telephone connection at no extra cost.

The system is flexible and you will be able to send documents as well as pictures over the system while you are talking on the phone. The problems you are likely to encounter are: inability to call emergency services, loss of service during power outages, problems with clarity of sound, and scrambling of data. These are however being addressed on a war footing and problems small or big should be ironed out quickly.

VoIP is all set to be the industry standard for telephone communication in the future and is all set to change communications forever.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1866Voip.com, the premier website to find help on Voip including topics on online voip, voip phone, voip service providers, voip solutions, business voip, internet telephony voip and more. He also freelances for the premier Ringtones site http://www.1888Ringtones.com.

Consumers Become Increasingly Aware of VoIP

The number of British and American adults who are unfamiliar with VoIP has shrunk dramatically over the past few months, but over 50% still remain in the dark about this important communication technology, according to recent study.

The number of adults familiar with VoIP grew from 37% to 46% in the UK over the course of the last nine months. This figure grew even more noticeably in the United States, where it increased from 36% to 51%, according to survey by Harris Interactive.

There are still a lot of people, however, who haven’t even heard of this highly efficient telecom technology. 41% of respondents in Britain, and 36% in the US claimed that they had never heard tell of VoIP.

As for individual companies, Vonage was the most recognized VoIP brand name in the US, while Skype and BT were neck and neck for the title in the UK. Vonage and Skype had higher brand awareness among male respondents, while men and women were equally aware of “mass market” players like BT, AOL, and Verizon.

“The entrance of more mainstream brands moves the VoIP market onto the next stage, raising the questions: Will the big players use their scale and presence to quickly establish dominance? Or will their arrival lend credibility to the market and benefit the specialists?” said Harris research drector, Derek Eccleston, in a statement.

(Originally published by TeleClick.ca on April 18, 2006)

About the Author:

Jeremy Maddock is a well-known technology blogger who writes about VoIP providers and the telecommunications industry in general.