Broadband phone service uses your broadband Internet connection
to transmit voice signals via IP networks. This technology is
commonly referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or
IP Telephony. Broadband phone service converts voice signals to
digital packets which are routed to their destination and
reconverted at the receiving end.
Broadband phone service appears, to the user, to operate very
much like the traditional telephone networks. You can use an ATA
(analogue telephone adapter) that connects to a router or modem
or an IP phone that connects directly to a router or modem. The
difference is that with an ATA you can use your existing phones
to connect to the network.
Once set up, you can use your broadband phone service to place
or receive calls to or from anywhere in the world. One of the
most attractive selling points of broadband phone service is the
low cost of long distance and International calls. Many IP
phones service providers include extra services such as call
waiting, voicemail, and caller ID at no additional cost.
There are a few drawbacks that you need to be aware of if you
are planning to switch to broadband phone service. You must, of
course, have access to a high-speed Internet connection and if
your Internet connection is down you lose your phone service
until you get back on line. There are still some reliability and
security issues but it's likely that these will soon be
addressed as consumer and business demand for broadband phone
service increases.
About the author:
Gary Caskennette is the owner of VoIP Place, a news and
information site about the rapidly developing technology of
Voice over Internet Protocol. More information can be found at
VoIP Place
