Long Distance
Because it's such a competitive market, you'll want to really examine the many options available to you today for long distance services. Competition breeds innovation and lower costs, but it also breeds marketing efforts designed to get you to make a quick decision without looking into all the hidden details.
Here's the skinny: You have options today for plans with unlimited long distance calls, flat-rate long distance calling plans, and plans with no monthly fees. Shop around carefully. Don't be fooled by the jaw-dropping promotions. Consider how applicable a plan may be according to how many lines you want to have. Also figure out whether it will benefit you (or be a disadvantage) if you put your cell phone on the same plan as your residential landline. Do you have a home office? If so, will it benefit you to give your business calls to the same carrier as your residential calls?
Not only are there numerous long distance plans, but they keep changing in order to be competitive. The competitive climate also causes mergers and bigger companies to acquire smaller ones; so be aware that your service plan might be changed by such corporate strategies.
What About VoIP Service for Long Distance?
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is technology that allows you to make calls over your Internet connection, using your ISP service instead of a traditional telephone network and long distance carrier. VoIP users enjoy huge savings on all long distance calls, anywhere in the world. And there's the benefit of having a phone number that stays with you, even if you move to a new location. VoIP users can also listen to voice mail messages over the Internet, using audio or .wav files. Implementing this service in your home will involve acquiring some new equipment, such as a home networking router and a telephone adapter, plus equipment for more than one phone on the line. Most carriers provide some of this equipment for you.
However, buyer beware: VoIP technology (also referred to as Internet telephony) is still evolving. Until it reaches the stage of mainstream adoption, there will be spurts along the way. For now, you'll want to bear in mind the following advice:
Because it's such a competitive market, you'll want to really examine the many options available to you today for long distance services. Competition breeds innovation and lower costs, but it also breeds marketing efforts designed to get you to make a quick decision without looking into all the hidden details.
Here's the skinny: You have options today for plans with unlimited long distance calls, flat-rate long distance calling plans, and plans with no monthly fees. Shop around carefully. Don't be fooled by the jaw-dropping promotions. Consider how applicable a plan may be according to how many lines you want to have. Also figure out whether it will benefit you (or be a disadvantage) if you put your cell phone on the same plan as your residential landline. Do you have a home office? If so, will it benefit you to give your business calls to the same carrier as your residential calls?
Not only are there numerous long distance plans, but they keep changing in order to be competitive. The competitive climate also causes mergers and bigger companies to acquire smaller ones; so be aware that your service plan might be changed by such corporate strategies.
What About VoIP Service for Long Distance?
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is technology that allows you to make calls over your Internet connection, using your ISP service instead of a traditional telephone network and long distance carrier. VoIP users enjoy huge savings on all long distance calls, anywhere in the world. And there's the benefit of having a phone number that stays with you, even if you move to a new location. VoIP users can also listen to voice mail messages over the Internet, using audio or .wav files. Implementing this service in your home will involve acquiring some new equipment, such as a home networking router and a telephone adapter, plus equipment for more than one phone on the line. Most carriers provide some of this equipment for you.
However, buyer beware: VoIP technology (also referred to as Internet telephony) is still evolving. Until it reaches the stage of mainstream adoption, there will be spurts along the way. For now, you'll want to bear in mind the following advice:
- Your ISP service might decrease in quality or even be knocked out for hours (or a day). Make sure the provider you select offers functionality for your incoming calls to be automatically forwarded to an alternate phone number, such as your cell phone. Tip: Don't discontinue your traditional phone carrier's services until you've tried the VoIP technology for a while. Think about what it's like when you experience network congestion with your Internet connection. Do you want your phone connection to be like that from time to time?
- If you experience an outage from your ISP service, you will not have 911 access to emergency services. Currently, the technology will not allow emergency personnel to detect your phone number and location if you are unable to tell them this information or if your call gets disconnected from your ISP. In addition, network congestion over the Internet might result in reduced speed for routing your 911 call.
- The cost of keeping your traditional phone service for a while as you experiment with your new VoIP service will be less than what you'll have to pay to resume services with your discontinued traditional long distance carrier if you end up not liking the VoIP service.
- As with traditional long distance carriers, some VoIP services are currently available only in select areas.