The VOIP Provider Guide

VOIP Your Life is yet another of those brand new services popping up every day to offer VoIP service to the vastly growing marketplace. It’s an exploding market and every new service has to offer something new and exciting to draw everyone away from the big names and to their products. For those reason, companies like VOIP Your Life has a few unique and intriguing ideas that have made them a positive entry into the field.

First off, the Good Stuff
VOIP Your Life relies almost wholly on its inclusion of some rather unique and inclusive calling plans that other companies don’t have. First off, you can get their basic service which allows unlimited calls in the US and 2.4c a minute in Canada for only $15 a month. That’s less than pretty much anyone else. It’s slightly misleading though, because for full featured phone service you need to upgrade to the $24 plan, offering you unlimited US and Canada calls as well as fairly good International Rates. They’re not quite as low as some companies offer, but they are relatively attractive compared to traditional phone service and at the more or less standard rate of $24, you’re not missing out on anything.

Where the real drawing point lays is with the $30, unlimited international calling plan. Featuring more than 35 countries and unlimited calling, the international calling plan combines all of the standard features that VOIP Your Life offers with a feature that many people will find very intriguing in free international calls. The customer service is another great feature that VOIP Your Life can boast above much of their competition. They offer an easy to use interface and website and are usually quick to reply for customer service problems. Call quality is fairly decent considering where the technology is at.

And the Cons
What VOIP Your Life doesn’t offer unfortunately is the best quality phone calls, especially when calling overseas. Call quality remains fairly consistent in the US and Canada, but those free international calls have a habit of becoming bogged down. You’re not getting anything extra in your service either and with the recent plan to add the standard E911 fees and whatnot to your bill, the cost is a bit higher than they advertise.

Additionally, the free global calling plans come attached with a minute cap of about 1500 minutes or so, replaced by 2.5 cent a minute charges if you go over. The basic plan that they advertise for only $15 is only good for those making free calls in the US, something that can be done for free with some services and the medium range plan is more or less the same as everyone else’s.You don’t get much in the way of equipment, although their service is fairly well organized.

The Bottom Line
In the end, VOIP Your Life is a new service still finding its footing in the rapidly growing market of VOIP service providers. We all know that in a few years many of these companies won’t be around anymore. The market can’t sustain that many companies. However, by offering something we all know should be cheap anyways in international calling, VOIP Your Life is ensuring that they at least stand out a bit. With a high responsive service staff and website, you can count on them to keep working on their site in the coming months and manage a service that is more reliable and stable overall.

For those with a lot of international calling or those just fed up with 45 minutes on hold for customer service, VOIP Your Life isn’t a bad decision.

In this day and age, it takes more than just top notch technology to impress and draw in the masses. It takes portability and multiple uses and with a service like VOIP, it’s all about mobility.

Everyone knows that VOIP is a great service. It offers cheap or even free phone calls, less equipment and the ability to combine uses on your computer. With that kind of functionality, it’s a safe bet that more than a few people are looking for ease and speed. No one wants to log on to their computer and set up a bunch of equipment so they can use their VOIP service.

With WiFi service covering almost every inch of major cities these days, the free application of VOIP via broadband enable cellular phones is getting a lot of technophiles excited. Mobile VOIP is on the horizon.

Technology for Mobility
Mobile VOIP relies most often on WiFi service, something that is still penetrating the various corners of the consumer world. Much like how broadband service was still spreading 6 or so years ago, WiFi has still only penetrated to about 10% of the user base in

Vonage’s VOIP Service
To compete with up and coming mobile VOIP services, Vonage along with other existing VOIP service providers, has begun to offer ways to access WiFi service through a standard Internet phone. Vonage’s WiFi UTStarcom F1000 phone is the perfect option for existing Vonage customers to use their service via a mobile phone.

Cellular VOIP Service
In 2005, TalkPlus launched the first domestic mobile VOIP service that took advantage of WiFi hotspots to make cell service a little cheaper. The best part about services like TalkPlus is that it utilizes existing cell phone technology to access WiFi and GSM internet access. It’s simpler and cheaper than standard broadband VOIP access.

Last summer, Nokia introduced their own SIP stack that allows the E-series of dual mode WiFi handsets to operate efficiently in numerous situations. In November they released a consumer version of the same handset in the N80 Internet Edition. What all those acronyms mean is that the commercially available phones are now available that allow swapping from free mobile VOIP to standard cellular service.

The Cost
The service cost is different depending on which method you use. If you were to buy an internet phone service from a company that only offers internet phone service, you will pay for the phone and for the service. If you are interested in accessing VOIP from an existing phone service, you will pay by the minute for your broadband access. For those interested in utilizing an existing VOIP service with an internet enabled phone such as Vonage, you only pay for the phone. Because of the magic that is WiFi technology, free VOIP access is soon to be a reality for many city dwellers.

Comparing these prices, you’ll note how they vary depending on what you’re looking for. Generally, if you already have at home VOIP access, the one time cost of an internet phone is likely your best bet.

Making the Switch
For those interested in getting started with mobile VOIP service, it largely depends on where you live as to whether this is a good choice or not. If you live in a small town with broadband access and limited WiFi access, you’ll probably be left with minimal choices directly related to your cell phone service. For those in a large city though, you can save hundreds of dollars annually by

Packet8 has been around since the early days of VoIP service, when broadband was first starting to reach everyone in affordable packages.  Starting roughly around the same time as Vonage, Packet8 today doesn’t have quite the same following as some of the other, bigger names out there.

However, with five years under their belt and a decent amount of trial and error out of the way, Packet8 has proven itself as a decent alternative to some of those bigger names.

First off, the good stuff

Packet8 has racked up its fair share of awards for “best VOIP provider” from some of the biggest names out there. While the constantly shifting slew of new VOIP providers out there has many services jockeying around for position, Packet8 has consistently rated in most top 10 lists. They offer affordable $24.99 a month plans on par with most other major services. However, with an upfront yearly payment, you pay as little as $16.58 a month. This annual service option is great for anyone who has had good experiences with them already.

They offer a nice little array of equipment and features. You’ll get a free phone adapter so you don’t have to sit and use your microphone and speakers to talk or go and buy an expensive new IP phone. And if you’re feeling extra interested, you can pick up a video phone from them for a fairly decent price. Their rates for international calls are probably the best offered by any service provider. Usually between 15 and 25 cents a minute, most of the major countries are relatively cheap and if you are calling someone with an IP phone abroad, you’re looking at around 4 cents a minute. Their features options are extensive and offer you options for business plans, global plans, and yearly purchases. Their Free Softtalk service is a fun way to start and get an idea of what you’re getting into with VOIP as well.

There are a few cons though

It’s not all good with Package8. Most services have their faults though, and Package8’s are relatively minimal and generally have to do with cost. You’ll find that you’re not given any kind of free trial offer. While the Soft talk option is interesting to try out, it is no where near their full featured service, which many other providers will offer you a chance to try out. You might also scoff at their $29.95 setup fee. Of course, if you consider the fact that most phone companies with landlines have been charging that much or more for decades, you might be able to overlook it.

The Bottom Line

When you take into account the slew of features, great price options, and top notch call quality of Package8, it makes you wonder why these guys aren’t bigger than they are. It has a lot to do with advertising costs (Vonage put out the dough) and name recognition. However, Package8 is definitely deserving of its place in so many top 10 lists, with a service that offers consistent quality for a pretty good price.  

Free VOIP Phone Service
While the above services can save you a lot of money with discount pricing compared to your regular telephone bill, you can actually get free service. Skype is the leading free calling service, and it plans to stay free forever. It is easy to download and use the Skype software, which allows you to make free calls over the Internet to other people running Skype on their computer. The downside with Skype is that you can’t use your regular telephone or number, and you can’t call landlines or mobiles for free either (except that now, for a limited time until the end of 2006 you can make free calls to the US and Canada).Vonage
This leading provider was rated #1 by CNet, and their goal is to help you save 50% or more on your phone bill. Vonage has a basic plan for $14.99 a month, but the Premium Unlimited plan for just $24.99 is most popular because you get unlimited local and long distance calling, plus many features included such as caller ID, voicemail, call waiting, call forwarding, etc. Calls to Canada and Puerto Rico are considered local in all plans, and they have low International rates worldwide. It’s quick and easy to sign up and use, since you just need to plug your phone into a Vonage adapter, which you also plug into your high speed internet connection. You get exceptional sound quality and you can even keep your current phone number in most cases. Joing the Vonage VOIP phone service now and get your first month Free! If you are Canadian, try Vonage Canada.

ViaTalk
Another broadband phone service is ViaTalk. The vt_500 plan is their value offering, which is just $9.95 per month. Step up to vt_unlimited, for just $15.95 per month, to enjoy unlimited calling to anywhere in the US and Canada. They have really low International rates, with 3 - 5 cent per minute charges for many common countries. With Via Talk plans e911, voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, *69 call return and other features are included. Take advantage of the Internet phone special, where you get 6 free months, no initial equipment fee and fast & easy installation with the 24 month plan.

VOIP.com
If you are interested in saving 50% or more on your phone bill, check out Voip.com. They offer low rates for a monthly unlimited calling plan. Sign up for the yearly plan, for an even lower effective monthly rate. Visit their site to check out the useful tools where you can check if you can keep your existing phone number, calculate how much you can save and take a speed test so that you can find out how many internet phone lines your broadband connection can support. There are very low international rates, and they offer tips and a blog so you can make the most of the voip.com service. Check it out now to see if you can get the first month free. NetZero Voice
NetZero Internet is a leader in free and cheap Internet service, and they also offer a service for cheap calls. Netzero Voice Unlimited is just $14.95 per month and you get unlimited computer to phone minutes, unlimited computer to computer minutes, free incoming calls, voicemail, caller ID, call waiting and more. Plus it works over dial-up or broadband. NetZeroVoice features great International rates starting at just 2 cents per minute. With NetZero Voice, calls are made to and from your computer, which means you cannot use your regular phone like you do with Vonage or ViaTalk. Subscribe today to get your first month free!Verizon VoiceWing
Another voice over Internet protocal calling service is Verizon VoiceWing. With them you get unlimited nationwide calling for as low as $24.95 per month. Calling to Canada is now included with all Voice Wing plans, and low international rates are available. They are loaded with calling features, including voice mail, caller ID, etc., and you have special abilities like checking your voicemail online and making calls from your home number when you are at other locations. They work like Vonage.com and ViaTalk, where you can use your normal phone; you just need to plug it into special hardware (a VoiceWing adapter) from Verizon. Order today to take advantage of an exclusive online offer: a waived setup fee, which is a $19.95 value.