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Overall, plans seem to start at around ten dollars per month and increase to around forty dollars monthly depending on offerings selected. Many VoIP plans give plenty of "extras" as part of the package including:
Call Forwarding
Call Waiting
Caller ID with the name
Repeat Dialing
3-Way Calling
Voicemail
Call Blocking
911 Accessibility
I have seen plans that also offer widespread 411 accessibility, fax service, and virtual phone numbers which allow users to select phone numbers outside of their area code.
There are big drawbacks to VoIP and I learned what one of them was when I was talking with my friend in Florida: a power failure will mean that your phone will not work. My friend lives in an area of frequent lighting strikes and occasional power failures so each time there is an interruption he has to wait for power to be restored before he can call out from his home phone. Fortunately, he keeps his cell phone charged, but he does have to pay for most calls made on his cell. In some areas the savings from a VoIP account will be offset by cell phone usage.
911 calls also can be difficult to place; you may need to dial a lengthy ten digit number to the police, fire, or ambulance station instead costing you valuable time in an emergency. Some providers are working hard to overcome the problem, but it hasn't quite been done away completely.
In all, VoIP usage continues to grow and it will probably become an important way for many to place calls, particularly internationally. You can't stop power outages and 911 issues remain, so weigh your options carefully before making the move over to Voice Over Internet Protocol.
Copyright 2005 -- Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article
writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He
manages several sites including the
Corporate Flight
Attendant Community and the
Aviation
Employment Board. Please visit
The Article Writer
to review selections from his portfolio.
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