Choosing the right VOIP Service

How to Choose a VOIP ServiceA few months ago, I moved to Europe, excited to explore a new continent. Pretty soon though, I realized that just trying to call close family and friends at home in the States would start eating up all my traveling money. Fortunately, I discovered VOIP calling and pretty soon my international phone bill for six months cost less than one airport dinner.

VOIP, or Voice of Internet Protocol, is technology that allows people to use their computer as a telephone. Voice information is transferred as data through the internet, instead of over traditional phone lines. Since the company does not have to maintain or pay to use an infrastructure, their costs are kept extremely low, and that means extremely low rates for the customer - as low as a one hundredth of a cent per minute!

All you need to get started using VOIP is a home computer, a high speed internet connection and a Janet Jackson style headset. These headsets are easily found at your local computer store for around $5 to $20. My experience has been that cheaper headsets work just as well as the more expensive ones. If your computer has a built-in microphone and speaker, you can use that instead, but it may sacrifice a bit of sound quality. The people that you are calling do not have to have VOIP, or even a computer. In fact, they won't know you are calling their landline or mobile from the internet unless you tell them. However, if you are mostly calling one or two people who are technology savvy, it may be cheapest for everyone if you get a VOIP service like Skype or Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. These types of services allow two or more users to call each other for free if they both use the website service.

If you do want to make calls to landlines or mobiles, then you need to research a VOIP company that fits your needs. Where do you call most often: long distance within your own country or international to other countries? Certain companies offer cheaper rates for different parts of the world or for one specific country. Where you are calling from physically doesn't really matter because your call is actually originating out of the VOIP company's server. The more specific you are about call destination, the cheaper your phone bill will be.

Also, think about what features are important to you. Some companies will give you a free phone number for incoming calls in the country of your choice. This means if you are in Brazil and your mom is in Cleveland, she can call you at a Cleveland number at local rates. If you take your computer on a trip to Paris, your mom can still call you at that same Cleveland number. I decided against this option personally, because I realized that in order to hear my "phone" ring, I would have to have my PC turned ON at all times and actually be close enough to hear it. If you decide to have an incoming number, you can also choose to have voice mail, although some companies charge extra for this service. Other features that may be available include: 3-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting and automatic redial. Also, some companies combine video calling or instant messaging with your voice call.

At the end of this article is a short list of VOIP companies to aid your search. Don't let this list limit you though because there are hundreds of companies out there. Some charge by month or by six months while others charge by the minute. Usually, U.S. mobiles are charged at the same rate as U.S. landlines, but often European mobiles are charged at significantly higher rates than European landlines. Always read the fine print. I thought I had unlimited calling to the U.S. for six months until I had a couple house guests. With four young women calling their parents, boyfriends and travel agencies for over a week, my account started to charge me by the minute. Only then did I find some fine print on the website that limited me to 300 free minutes over a 7 day period.

There are a few things to take into consideration before you switch to VOIP. Since VOIP works through the Internet, your call quality depends on the quality of your internet provider. If your internet speed is slow or your server tends to break down pretty often, you may not want to depend on VOIP. Also, some companies are known to have more static and delays than others. I will not attempt to point out any such company in this article, but once you have outlined your top two or three choices, you can get feedback on those companies from other customers through message boards and online publications. Also, while you can call 911 through VOIP, it is recommended that you maintain a mobile or landline as well for emergencies in case your computer is not ON or functioning.
Once you decide on a company, just download their software and follow instructions. Some companies may allow you to call at once, while others may require a deposit or an automatic draft from your checking account. Whatever the case, when you make that first phone call you'll feel like you are in on a great little secret.

A Short List of VOIP Companies Babble.com Dialpad.com Globe7.com Innervoip.com Messenger.yahoo.com Mutualphone.com Skype.com Voipcheap.com Vonage.com