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3.08.2008
Privacy Statement
3.06.2008
Satellite Internet and VoIP
Fresh Developments in VoIP Technology
At present, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony has been reaching new heights, expanding use even through satellite internet services. VoIP calls which utilize satellite internet connections operate just as an ordinary phone at home. Simply put- you just pick up the receiver and dial. Yes, you may be using your satellite internet connection but these voice transmissions sent through the net are decoded by the specific software and what you have is a much cheaper way to call abroad.
Support between VoIP services and Satellite Internet
Presently, more and more support between VoIP services and satellite internet providers is being exchanged. The internet has now become an instant tool for those anywhere around the world in need of an urgent call abroad. Satellite VoIP has been considered one of the freshest developments in VoIP technology as it offers consumers from anywhere in the world a direct source of communication with loved ones around the globe.
Making the world a whole lot smaller
Satellite internet may be more expensive than other types of providers, but it does not set limits to the enjoyment of the internet to those areas where a telephone line is present. It can be projected that satellite VoIP may make the world a whole lot smaller for those living in hard to reach, remote locations as developments in satellite technology reaches the masses. For those living in these kinds of areas, satellite VoIP can be the most beneficial choice in order to keep one’s self connected to others. Research and experimental projects done in remote areas will receive most advantageous results from such developments in communications.
Working together
VoIP providers have been collaborating with satellite internet service providers in order to benefit from service tie-ups. The VoIP providers have an opportunity to reach more customers while the satellite services can keep other cable companies at bay. But satellite technology still has its own issues to deal with. The advancement of the technology may provide a lot more convenience for those in remote locations but this does not come simply. Satellite technology deals with complex streams of data which must be correctly managed in order for satellite VoIP to work without delay and in a smooth manner. These issues with precision management of data are being worked out between provider tie-ups at present. The new advances in satellite VoIP may just give DSL providers a run for their money, while giving developing countries a taste of communication they may not have had with other service providers.
Free VoIP Or Paid VoIP – Which One Is Better?
Paid VoIP plans start at around $20 a month which comes to about $250 a year. So why pay for it if you can get it for free? But before I delve into that let me notice that even with the free VoIP to landline or cell phone offers – there are often small long distance charges with common exceptions often dealing with free promotional offers.
There are certain features that the paid VoIP provider might provide which a free one might not. One such feature is the 911 emergency call service functionality. This particular issue has to do with the difficulty of pinpointing a geographical location of a call that is being routed through the Internet. FCC has regulated in 2005 that all VoIP providers hooking up to PSTN network are required to comply with providing full 911 call compatibility or otherwise not to obtain new customers in areas where it is mandatory.
Sometimes there is also raised a question of a voice transmission quality difference between the two types of VoIP although in my personal experience that has not been an issue.
Next there is the local phone number availability. Some free VoIP providers offer it as an add-on paid feature. The same may apply to extras like caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding and voice mail. Others allow you even to have more then one local number and in remote geographical locations.
If you are a business VoIP user the ability to send faxes over VoIP might be important to you as well. Or if you are using VoIP for conference calling with large number of simultaneous participants then it is definitely something to find out – how far will your VoIP provider be able to accommodate you with that.
The final answer to which type of VoIP is better will depend on whether you need these extra features. Also many paid VoIP providers have sign up specials offering either free VoIP phone sets and/or interface boxes for regular corded or cordless phones . So if you are planning on using regular phone sets for dialing up to VoIP network that might be then also something to consider.
And if you are not depending on free long distance VoIP to PSTN offers from the free VoIP providers then the amount of time you spend on the phone can also be a factor in deciding which type of VoIP is best suite to your needs.
Residential VOIP: A Brief Introduction
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, and basically means that you can make phone calls using the Internet's existing connections, rather than over the fiber-optic line your existing telephone uses. In fact, you're not really using the "telephone" at all, but a VOIP appliance known as a phone. But there's no need to get really picky on that point.
So how does VOIP work?
It all sounds mysterious and difficult to understand, but it's really not. Basically, VOIP services convert your voice into a digital signal and transmit it over the Internet. If you're calling another VOIP user, that's the end of it; your voice is transmitted digitally. If you're using a VOIP phone to call someone on a regular land line, your voice is converted back into a signal those phones can understand. It all happens instantly and almost magically, and the call on a VOIP phone system sounds exactly like the call on a telephone system.
You may be wondering what you need to take advantage of VOIP phone service in your home.
The most basic thing you'll need is broadband Internet service, such as cable or DSL. You will need some way to connect to the VOIP service. With most providers, your computer connects to the service through a special modem, and you can continue using your existing phones.
Some providers, however, require specialized VOIP phones. Many of these providers offer a free phone with setup and lease equipment to their users.
VOIP has primarily been a business service, until recently, and many home users have had doubts about whether it was right for them.
VOIP residential service is relatively new, and the question, "Why would I want VOIP in my home?" is a legitimate one.
There are three reasons you might consider VOIP.
The first, of course, is cost; many VOIP providers offer free or low-cost long distance, and the overall phone bill is often quite lower than the bill from the local telephone provider.
VOIP offers many features which local providers may not, including, with some providers, the ability to get email notifications of new voicemail and check voicemail online, which is useful for people running a home business.
Finally, some people switch to VOIP because of difficulties with their local telephone company. The days of "We're the telephone company. We don't care. We don't have to" are definitely over, and VOIP is a big part of that.
VOIP is a digital alternative to analog phone lines, but it is far more than that; it is a completely new way of making phone calls which will forever change the landscape of voice communication.
While VOIP is relatively young in the residential area, it is growing rapidly, and the providers are becoming more established and more experienced in supporting their residential customers.
Where VOIP used to be almost entirely a small business service, it is rapidly becoming a real alternative for the residential user.
It will be interesting, from a technological point of view, to watch as VOIP matures over the next several years and to see how the local phone companies respond to that maturation.
But what will be really interesting is seeing how residential customers respond and how residential VOIP evolves as a result of their feedback.
The a-b-c’s of Choosing a VoIP Service
Generally it is easy. That is if you know what you want and do not want. But if you are still somehow in a haze, the following are basic steps to choose the VoIP service that is right for your needs and your budget.
Know thyself
Believe it or not, the best way to find something is to look within. This is not an estoreic or new age mumbo-jumbo, it is a practical and convenient way to discover what you want the world to bring you: the best VoIP service available.
Begin by asking yourself, “Why VoIP?” What do you want in a VoIP that a conventional telephone service line would not be able to provide. Is it because of the savings a VoIP could give you? Or do you want the advanced features that only VoIP offers? Or maybe because you are sick and tired of your phone company?
Whatever your reason may be, make sure that the benefits you will be provided with by a VoIP provider is a lot better than what you have now. No sense marrying down when you can marry up.
A good example might be replacing your old phone number with a new VoIP number. Since the latter is cheaper, decide which you can live with and without. A few dollars worth of savings or your old number? Relax though, there are those VoIP providers that allow you to let your number be the same. But if you are having difficulty parting with your number, make sure you have another means to communicate. A cell phone perhaps?
Know the consequences of your act
Since VoIP relies on the internet to get things going for it, you must also be well aware that once your internet connection goes down, so will VoIP. Decide if you could live with this consequence.
Also, though there are VoIP providers that also offer an emergency 911 service, VoIP 911 service calls are not as reliable or as robust as conventional telephone lines. During an emergency, you may have to give out your address and name to the dispatcher who takes in your call.
Know your VoIP provider
VoIP providers are expected to offer the best and only the best VoIP service for its customers. So the usual high quality sound is expected and is a must. Besides the usual standard VoIP features that are also available in a conventional telephone line (such as three way calling, call waiting, etc.), advanced features are also offered at your easy beck and call. One of which is an almost limitless option on how to answer a call that has been received.
Another matter to consider when availing a VoIP service is the rates. As much as possible, call rates must be competitive, for calls made or received locally or internationally.
Also, is there a money-back guarantee? If there is none, drop that provider and go look for another one. You deserve only the best so do not settle for anything else.
So what should it be? You know what you want so go for it. Make sure to research, read-up, ask around, and compare what is best and what is not.
But ultimately, the decision rests on you. In the end, you will reap the fruits of your choice via clear audio and video streams and less headaches.
Some Neat Things You Can Do With VOIP
Do you know what VOIP is? Unless you have been living in a cave for the past few years, you have undoubtedly seen VOIP advertised at electronics stores, on TV, inside your cable bill, and from some of your friends. In a nutshell, VOIP allows you to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. That’s right, you do not need to hassle with SBC or BellSouth or Verizon anymore if you don’t want to. The person you are calling does not need to have a VOIP phone, you can call them or they can call you anyway.
The one thing that IS required for any VOIP service, regardless of the provider you get it from, is a decent and reliable high-speed Internet connection. The vast majority of the time when customers complain about the quality of a VOIP phone conversation, the bottom line result is that the fault is rarely with the VOIP service, but it is the fault of the high-speed Internet connection. The VOIP provider has no control over the quality (or lack thereof) of your high-speed Internet connection, so if your connection is not reliable or is “spotty”, you need to either get a different Internet provider, or perhaps VOIP is not for you at this time.
The latter situation would be bad news if you look at the economics of it. From your local phone company, you are probably paying $25 to $30 per month just for dial tone, and then you have long distance charges on top of that. For less money, you can also get dial tone, plus voice mail, plus caller ID, plus a host of other features (depending on the carrier), plus unlimited long distance calling in the continental US (or beyond with some providers). It really is a no brainer.
Let’s look at a couple of neat things that VOIP allows you do to, things that you cannot do with your traditional phone. Let’s say you live in Chicago, and you travel on business or pleasure to Atlanta and you bring your VOIP phone with you. When you get to Atlanta, you plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed Internet connection at your hotel. You can STILL make calls as if you were still in Chicago, and when somebody calls your Chicago phone number, it will ring on your VOIP phone in your Atlanta hotel room! It’s like nothing has changed and you are still at home in Chicago!
I have a friend who does this all the time, and he travels worldwide. When he arrives at his hotel in Los Angeles or even London or Hong Kong, he plugs his VOIP phone into the high-speed Internet connection at his hotel, and he is making and receiving calls just as if he were at home in Denver!
Now let’s say that you have friends or family in Europe that you like to talk to, but you don’t talk to them very often because international calls are so expensive. The solution is for you to get a VOIP phone and get a VOIP phone for them and send it to them. (Assuming of course they have a high-speed Internet connection at their home, as do you). Now, even though they are located in Paris or Munich, their VOIP phone has a Houston (or whatever) phone number, and you can call them or they can call you and you can talk for as long as you want to at no additional charge!
VOIP technology brings a whole new era to the world of communications, and if you are not part of the VOIP revolution yet, you certainly should be, because it is not going away anytime soon!
What VoIP Can Do For You
Lets get to the most important question, what is VoIP? There are multiple names by which VoIP is called, among these areinternet telephony, broadband phone. Basically, this new technology called VoIP allows voice calls or conversations to be routed through the web or any network relies on internet protocol.
The difference between VoIP and the traditional phone is that while the latter utilizes transmission through circuit telephony lines, the first mentioned makes use of a network that is packet-switched where sound, compressed as data, goes through.
IP means Internet protocol. It is this code that carries sound and its signals over the web thus the name Voice over Internet protocol.
What are the benefits? you may be asking yourself Believe it or not, there are advantages of utilizing VoIP technology. The following are its benefits.
Voice over IP tends to be inexpensive and easy
Most of the time, VoIP service costs a lot less than the conventional phone, if not free. This is because only one network is used to transmit voice data through the web.
Also, calls made from a VoIP enabled pc to another VoIP pc is basically free. However, a call made from a VoIP enabled pc to a public phone network is not. The one who made the VoIP call is usually charged.
However, there is a provider that gives a free VoIP call to a public telephone network, however rare it may be. VoIP User offers such service.
VoIP is user-friendly
Compared to a conventional telephone line, Voice over helps anyone do tasks that cannot be done through conventional telephony sources.
If you are the type of person that prefers to work and receive calls during your vacation at the Bahamas, Voice over IP will let you do so. Thanks to this new technology, any call could be routed automatically to your trusty VoIP device wherever you may be within the network.
Also, phone numbers are given out free of charge if used through VoIP wherever a person may be, as long as a specific place carries a provider that gives out such a service � VoIP User is one example.
Voip is mobile so take it wherever you go!
VoIP lets just about anyone to go anywhere there is a VoIP network service in the globe. Making one extremely mobile enough to receive and make calls.
VoIP subscribers who have a Houston phone number and get to travel to Australia for a business trip, if someone dials his/her number, the phone will definitely ring in this place. No matter that the call is being made in the U.S. Of course, a high speed web connection is indispensable, such as a WiFi.
VoIP could be integrated in any internet based instant messenger system, and no matter where someone is in the globe, a call could be made using such.
Making and receiving calls has never been this easy. Also, the best thing about VoIP service is that a video conversation could be possible as well as data exchange, an audio conference, address book managing, all at the same time. Could you even imagine how much would a traditional phone provider charge you for all of this features?
All in all, VoIP is a flexible tool that today�s technology can offer for the mobile and extremely busy individual. There is no place, no situation that VoIP will not be able to handle. Of course, provided that a given place or a situation has a ready and available internet access. If so, with VoIP nothing is impossible.
Define Your Needs When Shopping For VOIP Services
After all the research you have finally gotten around to doing on the topic of VOIP and VOIP services, you are just about ready to take the plunge. Making the decision to go with VOIP, however, is only half the battle. There are a truckload of VOIP providers out there, each one telling you that their service is the best one since sliced bread, so how do you make an intelligent and informed decision about which one to go with?
The first thing you need to realize is that not all VOIP services are created equally. One of the limiting factors is your high-speed Internet connection, since that will be used for your home VOIP to make and receive calls. VOIP will work reliably with DSL or cable (or better), but is not recommended if all you have is a satellite high-speed Internet connection, and VOIP is not recommended if you have access only to a wireless connection.
The vast majority of problems with VOIP from virtually any VOIP provider comes down to a lack of a reliable high-speed Internet connection. Your Internet provider may CLAIM you are getting reliable service and a fast connection, but if you are having trouble getting something as simple as VOIP to work on it, then they are blowing smoke at you and it may be time to look for another Internet provider. In terms of the Internet connection part of VOIP, that is just about as simple as things will ever get, and your Internet provider should be able to handle it. If they cannot, they may have purposely blocked it because they want to sell you VOIP services themselves … at twice the price!
Now you need to determine what VOIP features you need. Almost all the VOIP providers and VOIP plans provider caller ID, voicemail, and call waiting, so let's see what else needs to be considered, and this is where things start to differ and get quite interesting.
Almost all of them offer unlimited long distance calling in the continental US. But do you call Canada a lot, or make frequent calls to Puerto Rico? If so, there are VOIP providers who include Canada and Puerto Rico in their unlimited calling plans.
Do you have friends, perhaps your parents or a sibling that you talk to a lot but they do not have VOIP? Is it the case where they call you frequently? You may wish to consider a plan that includes a virtual number or where you can get a virtual number cheaply. A virtual number is a phone number in that city. Say you live in Detroit so you of course have a Detroit phone number on your VOIP phone. Say you talk to your sister a lot in Houston who does not have a VOIP phone. You can get a Houston phone number in addition to your Detroit phone number, so now your sister can make a LOCAL call to your Houston number, and when she does, your VOIP phone at your home in Detroit will ring so it doesn't cost her anything! Is that cool or what?
Determine your needs and then start comparing VOIP features to see which VOIP provider offers the most bang for the bucks, based on what you need. Don't pay extra for VOIP services that you will only use once in a blue moon.