Pacion
08-26-2004, 02:48 PM
Has anyone tried this? What did you think? From a Wall Street Journal's email, it could certainly be appealing. However, the UK will probably lag behind in terms of service providers :roll: ho hum! :lol:
A Price War Hits Internet Calling
By SHAWN YOUNG
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Fierce price competition is hitting the fast-growing Internet phone-calling business.
Consumers are used to prices of many new technologies eventually falling. But with Internet phone calls, the industry has begun to lower its rates at a remarkably early stage, reflecting the low cost of providing the service and the cutthroat nature of the phone business.
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Internet calling, known as VOIP, short for "voice over Internet protocol," is also fairly easy to set up. Customers are able to use their standard phone, which they plug into an adapter that links to their computer. The computer routes the calls over the Internet.
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Internet calling comes with some trade-offs. For starters, your phone service is only as reliable as your Internet connection. Fluctuations in the quality of the connection that may be barely noticeable when you surf the Web can undermine the sound quality on the phone. And, while most Internet calling services will connect to 911, the operator often won't be able to automatically link the call with an address. That's because with Internet phones, as with the Internet in general, location is irrelevant. Callers generally have to tell a dispatcher where they are. Carriers, though, are rushing to improve their 911 service, and some already alert emergency operators to a caller's location. Another drawback: Like cordless phones, Internet service also won't work if there's a power outage.
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Internet calling allows you to keep your old phone number. It also allows for some tricks not available with traditional phone service such as sending all calls from your ex straight to voicemail :idea: :D or picking a trendy area code even if you live in the boonies. Many providers also offer a "find me" feature that lets you forward calls to several different numbers if you don't answer.
[deleted]
A Price War Hits Internet Calling
By SHAWN YOUNG
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Fierce price competition is hitting the fast-growing Internet phone-calling business.
Consumers are used to prices of many new technologies eventually falling. But with Internet phone calls, the industry has begun to lower its rates at a remarkably early stage, reflecting the low cost of providing the service and the cutthroat nature of the phone business.
[deleted]
Internet calling, known as VOIP, short for "voice over Internet protocol," is also fairly easy to set up. Customers are able to use their standard phone, which they plug into an adapter that links to their computer. The computer routes the calls over the Internet.
[deleted]
Internet calling comes with some trade-offs. For starters, your phone service is only as reliable as your Internet connection. Fluctuations in the quality of the connection that may be barely noticeable when you surf the Web can undermine the sound quality on the phone. And, while most Internet calling services will connect to 911, the operator often won't be able to automatically link the call with an address. That's because with Internet phones, as with the Internet in general, location is irrelevant. Callers generally have to tell a dispatcher where they are. Carriers, though, are rushing to improve their 911 service, and some already alert emergency operators to a caller's location. Another drawback: Like cordless phones, Internet service also won't work if there's a power outage.
[deleted]
Internet calling allows you to keep your old phone number. It also allows for some tricks not available with traditional phone service such as sending all calls from your ex straight to voicemail :idea: :D or picking a trendy area code even if you live in the boonies. Many providers also offer a "find me" feature that lets you forward calls to several different numbers if you don't answer.
[deleted]