The era of voice communication started when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. From these, people from different places can communicate with their friends even when they are miles away. It connects the world, as they say.

Now that the invention of the computer and the Internet has took place on the recent years, the possibility of revolutionizing the voice communication is now possible. And it did happen. By the help of the telecommunication specialists and Web developers, telephone services now merged with Internet services, called the VOIP broadband phone service.

It has become one of the greatest innovations in the telephone industry. But what VOIP really is and why people are so excited about this new technology.

What is VOIP?

VOIP or voice over Internet protocol allows you to make phone calls using a computer network over a data network. The principle behind the VOIP is the conversion of voice signal or the voice sound waves that comes from the phone to digital signals that travels through the Internet and the same conversion at the other end in order for the user to speak to anyone with a regular telephone line.

This also allows the user to place direct call from a computer using a conventional telephone. In other terms, a VOIP service allows the caller to use his broadband connection to place regular phone calls over the Internet.

VOIP Call Procedures

Placing a call using VOIP service is simple, though there can be some variation depending on the service provider. For instance, you will place a call. Just pick up the phone and dial the number of the party you are calling by using an adaptor connected on your broadband high-speed connection.

Your call will be directed to your local telephone company to the VOIP provider, and then goes through the Internet, to the called party's subscribed local telephone company to complete the call. Other variation is by using a microphone and headset plugged into your computer, and you can dial the number of the party you are calling by means of the keyboard and directed to the cable modem.

Advantages of VOIP over Regular Phone Service

We are accustomed to the regular phone services provided by a regular phone company. We are familiar of the services they are offering, the process of placing a call, and the charges that come with it. However, by the development of the VOIP service, there are now advantages that we can consider to prefer VOIP rather than the conventional telephone service. These can be summarized as follows:

Traditional phone service lets you place a voice call and the telephone can only be used within the house of the subscriber only. In VOIP, you don't need to maintain an actual phone line. You can receive incoming phone calls even when you are away from your home or office. As long as you are connected in the Internet, you can receive or place a call anywhere in the world.

VOIP phone sets can also be integrated with other Internet services such as video conferencing, sending and receiving data files in parallel with the conference, and audio conferencing.

You save additional costs in maintaining a phone account. This is the main advantage of VOIP over the conventional phone service-lower costs. VOIP services are purchased in bundle including unlimited local, regional, or even long distance calls within a defined geographic area at a specific cost.

VOIP also offers free services, like voicemail, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, three-way calling, and other services, that traditional telephone providers charged with a certain amount.

Many advantages of VOIP are anticipated to come in later years because of its extensive development. Expect, too that it will offer more helpful features and at the same time protecting its future subscriber to additional cost.

There will be no wonder anymore that residential and business subscriber will adopt this new technology in the near future.