High Tech Household

With the announcements this week that Verizon will be launching Android phones with Google Voice capability and AT&T will also be allowing VoIP services on its iPhone after pressure from the FCC, it appears that we are at the beginning of a revolution of how traditional phone calls are made and placed.  Today, you can make cheap or even free phone calls using Voice over IP technology (VoIP).

What is VoIP?

Voice over IP (or VoIP) is a technology that essentially uses the Internet to place phone calls, rather than traditional phone lines.  When you make a call, the call is routed to the recipient or to a central server farm that eventually reaches the recipient’s local calling area, and connects out to traditional phone lines in that area to eventually reach the recipient, as if it were a local call.  VoIP has been around for some time in different forms.  When I was in graduate school living in New York, I had a VoIP calling card which allowed me to call my then-girlfriend and now wife for reasonable rates that fit a poor graduate student’s income stream.  The quality was poor and there were often dropped calls, but it got the job done.  VoIP has come a long way since then, and is now a fairly reliable means of communications.  There are several different flavors of VoIP that provide different options, and the choices can be somewhat confusing.  Here, we will look at three different providers that represent a fair cross-section of what is out there on the market.

VoIP Providers

Skype: Skype is the most common of the VoIP providers.  Skype offers the ability to use a computer headset and microphone to make phone calls anywhere in the world.  Skype involves downloading an application that acts as the desktop phone system, and allows users to talk to each other for free if both are using Skype, or for very low rates to call actual phone numbers either domestically or internationally.  Skype also allows users to video conference, and to have an inbound number to receive calls to the desktop.  Skype is a good application for free and low-cost phone calls, but it is not a replacement for a land-line or mobile phone.  For one thing, you have to be on your computer to use Skype, and it does not support any kind of emergency-911 service.  If you’re looking for a cheap way to supplement your traditional phone line to make cheap long-distance calls, Skype provides a good option.

Vonage: Vonage is a VoIP service that acts as a traditional phone service.  Vonage takes the place of your local phone carrier, but sends all of its calls over IP.  Vonage is a subscription-based service that connects to your cable or FiOS broadband connection through a specific Vonage router provided as part of the service.  Vonage allows you to choose your router, and unlike Skype, supports emergency-911 by configuring your locality when setting up your account.  However, Vonage is subject to power failures and your broadband connection, which can have a tendency to experience problems more frequently than traditional or mobile phone networks.  Still, Vonage is a good option for people who want a low-cost long distance carrier that mimics a traditional land-line setup.

Google Voice: Google Voice is a virtual PBX system that allows users to connect a VoIP number to their other existing mobile and land-line phones.  When a caller dials a Google Voice number, it will forward the call and ring to all other numbers defined as linked to the Google Voice number.  Google Voice also acts as a calling-card type system to make outbound long distance calls.  Google voice also has advanced features such as voicemail transcripts, ability to route calls to different numbers based on who the call is coming from, and the ability to record calls and listen to them online.  Google Voice allows users to make use of more advanced features that VoIP and the internet allows that isn’t easily available on traditional phone lines, as well as offering a low-cost option for placing calls.

There are many other VoIP services, but most of them have similar characteristics to the three mentioned here.  With the news about Google Voice now being available as an app for the iPhone, VoIP has the potential to revolutionize not only the way we make traditional phone calls, but also the mobile phone market as well.