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Choosing A VoIP
Provider
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Selecting the right VoIP equipment and
Service Provider for your needs depends on a
range of important factors that are
individual to you.
Visit our
Types of VoIP page to figure out what
the best equipment and Calling Plan is for
you depending on your call usage, and
whether you make calls mostly within North
America or to international numbers too.
How important are
Advanced Features to you? Different
Providers offer different features; some
come for free, while others cost money.
Don't make a buying choice purely on the
number of features offered by each different
VoIP Provider. Instead, look for the
features you need, must have, and will use,
and check that your preferred Provider will
be able to give you these features.
Some people will find features like
Selective Call Forwarding (forwards
important callers to a priority number, e.g.
your spouse calls the office and is
automatically routed to your cell phone
because you’re mobile), whereas small
office/home office customers will find
Virtual Numbers (see Advanced Features) to
be a more compelling value.
To quickly find the right VoIP vendor for
your needs, get your own copy of our
VoIP Fact Book that lists the Best
Calling Plans, what they cost, and what is
included.
According to independent surveys, most of
the established VoIP carriers score about
the same in terms of voice quality, there
isn’t one in particular that stands out from
the crowd.
You should expect close to, or better than,
regular telephone call quality for most of
your calls.
Since most plans are month-to-month and
don’t require a long-term commitment, whilst
frustrating, at least you have the option to
quickly switch if you are not satisfied with
the service.
Is 911 support essential to you, because
only a few VoIP vendors currently offer it.
If VoIP is your only phone, then probably
yes it is important, if you have a cell
phone or regular home phone as a backup for
911 calls then probably no.
(N.B. Regular phones still work during a
power outage to your house).
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Use
Your Existing Phone Number? |
If it’s important to keep your existing
phone number (most VoIP Providers give you a
new VoIP-specific number) then you need to
go with someone who can provide this.
Be aware however that even with those that
can, depending on your area code they may or
may not be able to transfer your number. DSL
users should also be aware that, due to the
nature of DSL, you’ll need to keep your
existing number for that service and get an
additional VoIP number from your Service
Provider.
For most people it’s less of a burning issue
to have another VoIP number because they
will likely keep their regular phone line
and/or cell phone, then mostly use their
VoIP service to save money on outgoing
calls.
With so many plans available now with
different pricing and calling features,
we’ve produced a VoIP Calling Plan Fact Book
featuring the Best Calling Plans available
in North America (some Plans include
Unlimited International Calling to as many
as 35 countries for as little as $24.95 a
month).
The book is available for a one-time
purchase of only $19.95 and provides you
with a summary of the Best Calling Plans,
who offers them/where to get them, at what
price, and with what features. You can
purchase the book by clicking
here. |
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