VOIP :: Voice Over IP InformationYour Guide to VOIP Telephone Technology and Services |
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VoIP Service ProvidersVoIP is a whole new ballgame, and there are dozens of brand new providers. The fact that there are so many new players is good for the industry and for the consumer, since it is more likely to bring new innovation, more competition, and lower prices. However, there's a downside--all of these new providers are relatively unknown and unproven, and this makes your decision on which VoIP service provider to go with a lot more difficult. Ultimately, most analysts believe that VoIP is going to be the rule rather than the exception, and the established telecom companies will all have to embrace VoIP to some extent in order to stay competitive. Meanwhile, here's a little information on the new kids on the block. Many of these providers offer special deals, so compare their current offerings. Some provide unlimited, flat-rate service, with incentives such as free or discounted phones, and value-added services such as toll-free lines, voicemail, and the ability to retain your existing local phone number. The most prominent startup, or at least the one with the best television commercials, is Vonage, which offers a variety of different packages for homes and small businesses. Vonage has two types of packages; a flat-rate plan for unlimited calls, and a less expensive plan with the first 500 minutes free, and subsequent minutes billed at a competitively low per-minute rate. Packet8 offers services targeted at both residential and small business markets, offering extensions that work just like extensions on a normal telephone system. They offer a flat-rate fee for unlimited local and long-distance service. Other high-profile newer providers include Viatalk, myphonecompany.com, and SunRocket. Veteran telco AT&T entered the VoIP market with its CallVantage program, also offering flat-rate unlimited service Other incumbents that have moved into the VoIP arena include Qwest with its OneFlex plan.Verizon Broadband Calling service offers a number of both phone-based and Internet-based value-adds, including synchronization with your Microsoft Outlook address book. Cable companies are also anxious to move into VoIP, and are quickly gearing up to offer "Triple Play" services, combining VoIP, cable television and Internet access. Cable provider Comcast announced plans to offer VoIP services throughout its entire service area by the end of 2006. PC-based VoIP services are often free, with charges for value-added services. Start-up provider Skype has been acquired by eBay. Skype offers a free download with which you can talk to others who have the same Skype software; or for a low per-minute fee, you can call regular telephone numbers as well. Google has also gotten into the act with its Google Talk offering, and even Microsoft has VoIP in its target with its recent acquisition of VoIP provider Teleo. If you don't mind fiddling with computer interfaces and talking into a microphone, you might try a free service like Free World Dialup, a PC-to-PC VoIP provider from whom you can obtain a free account. There are many more VoIP providers, both large and small, and new ones are emerging constantly. Ultimately, the intense competition will shake out the weak ones--but in the process, the consumer wins as providers of all sizes compete by offering you, the consumer, excellent prices and value-added services. |
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