As you can imagine, the market for VoIP Service is growing at an exponential rate, and for good reason. Internet telephone service has come quite a long way over just a couple of years ago, and VoIP has become a cost effective solution for local, toll, and international calling services.

Keep in mind, it is still recommended to have at least one POTS line (i.e. traditional land line) for emergencies and 911, in case of power or equipment failure. For clarification, this is not to imply VoIP 911 directory services cannot be “trusted”; VoIP emergency services have greatly improved in recent years, and are federally mandated. The recommendation to keep a land line has to do with having a back-up alternative for 911.

If you think about it, there are many reasons that an interruption in power could occur which would not impede traditional PSTN call circuits, such as a typical thunder storm or even your router being accidentally unplugged. The good news is, along with the practical implications of keeping an inexpensive land line in addition to your VoIP service, it also makes sense financially. That is because the cost of a basic local access line, in addition to your VoIP services, is still a considerable savings over the cost of traditional calling costs alone. The majority of those savings are realized in the low cost of toll and international VoIP calling.

VoIP saves you Money

Probably the greatest attraction to residential VoIP service is in the cost savings. Many VoIP providers are offering unlimited local and long distance calling for less than $20.00 a month. On top of that, with VoIP service, toll service charges are eliminated, and International calls are significantly lower on average than with traditional telephony. Bottom line: VoIP can save you from $350 to $500 each year.

Goodbye Hidden Charges

Everyone knows the frustration of going over your phone bill only to find charges for taxes or fees you've never been informed (directly) about, and wondering what exactly you're paying for and why your phone bill is always a higher than the package price you signed up for. With VoIP, that all goes away.

Free VoIP Features

This is a major benefit of VoIP. You get so many free features with a typical VoIP plan that it would prove cost prohibitive to get an equivalent package of features with your traditional phone company. Features like 3-way calling, call waiting, and yes, voicemail are free and considered standard with most residential VoIP services. I remember not too long ago paying $29 a month JUST for digital voicemail service on my POTS (land) line, on top of the monthly fee, service charges, tolls, long distance, etc.

Flexibility

Because VoIP requires a broadband internet connection, there are several benefits built into your decision to get VoIP for your home. For starters, you’re likely to use a multi port router, which allows you to put more computers and devices on your home network.

Ideally, you would want to get a wireless router, which gives you the greatest flexibility. Besides providing broadband internet access to multiple computers without the headaches of hard-wire connections, you will also have options for using SoftPhone VoIP service on multiple devices such as your PC and laptop, and your VoIP phone. Another benefit is that with a wireless router, you can configure certain devices to function wirelessly on your network (like the printer in the den connected to the laptop in the basement.)

Also, many VoIP phones have greater features and flexibility by design. For example, you can get a VoIP phone set-up that includes a "base station" handset with speakerphone, dialpad, etc. which comes with additional wireless handsets that have their own independent docking/charging stations. This is a great way to provide multiple rooms in your home with VoIP enabled phones that are built "feature friendly" to accommodate the many common VoIP features available, as discussed above. This includes "videophone" in some cases, which is (realtime) video transmission that is delivered through broadband and uses the same software interfaces and protocols as VoIP service.

Summing Up with VoIP

VoIP is the next wave in telecommunications technology. It is well supported and is becoming increasingly standardized while exploding as an industry. VoIP service may soon completely replace traditional telephony services as we know it. Perhaps more to the point, VoIP will save you a significant amount of money, while providing ease, flexibility, and features that traditional telephony can’t compete with.

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Doug maintains the <a href="http://www.5pcom.com/voip-service-blog/">voip blog</a> at 5PCom, a <a href="http://www.5pcom.com">VoIP Service </a>provider offering exceptional quality, savings, and pricing for Residential and Small <a href="http://www.5pcom.com/small-business-voip.html">Business VoIP</a> services.