Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line.
The VoIP service converts your voice into a digital signal that travels over over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter.
In addition, wireless “hot spots” in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.
You own your phone number(s).
The local phone company provides service for your phone but you own the number(s) and have the right to transfer your phone service to any provider. The FCC has expanded local number portability to VoIP service providers
FCC EXPANDS LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY TO VoIP.
The right of consumers to keep the same, familiar phone number when switching to a new telephone company was expanded today by the Federal Communications Commission, in an Order that will further ensure consumers’ opportunity to choose a telephone service provider based on quality, price and service.
The FCC made clear that the obligation to provide local number portability extends to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol providers and the telecommunications carriers that obtain numbers for them. This action was, in part, a response to numerous complaints by consumers about their inability to port numbers to or from interconnected VoIP providers.
The FCC also clarified in its Order that telephone companies may not obstruct or delay number porting by demanding excess information from the customer’s new provider. In its Notice, the FCC also tentatively concluded that it should require the industry to complete simple ports in 48 hours.
There are several factors to consider when moving your phone service on to your internet connection.
The first factor is the number of phones at the business and the number of simultaneous calls that take place.
The second factor is your standard computer internet usage – is it mainly web page viewing or are there advanced features being used such as webinars?
The last factor is your upload capacity from your ISP (internet service provider). This factor can be the most important since phone conversation requires dedicated bandwidth to maintain the 2-way converstation.
Using the factors 1 & 2 — phone and internet utilization, a solid estimate can be determined and used to measure against the upload capacity of your ISP. Virtually all ISPs have multiple levels of service increasing the upload and download bandwidth.
You can use the following link to Speedtest.net which can give you your current upload and download speed. Just select the recommended server (the yellow pyramid on the US map) to start your test. It will return your bandwidth results.
Voice quality should be as good or better than standard analog phone quality.
There are two main factors that directly affect VoIP voice quality — internet connection quality and your phone equipment.
If the connection and the phone are of high enough quality, the conversation will be clear. IVSComm will work with you to guarantee the voice quality by using the high-quality IP phones and analyzing your internet connection quality.
There is a paradigm shift when talking about phone lines via an internet phone service company.
For example a business has four standard analog lines, one of which is the publicly documented phone number. The other lines are for roll-over. So a maximum of 4 lines are able to be used for in-bound and out-bound phone calls. The business must pay for each line along with phone usage from their phone company.
With IVSComm internet based phone service, while you still have a public phone number, you are no longer bound by the number of phone lines. Every in-bound call will ring and every out-bound call will get a ring tone. No matter how many calls are already being managed.
You will occasionally lose your internet connection. Depending on who provides your internet service, it may happen more frequently than desired. ISP service interruptions as an industry are decreasing. Even standard analog phone service is not infallable and will go down.
If your internet does go down, With IVSComm as your VoIP service provider, we can forward your phone calls to your cell phone to ensure that you still get your business calls. Once internet connectivity has been restored, IVSComm can remove your forwarding.