Best Value Residential VoIP Service

Today's world is constantly changing when it comes to technical advances; this is also true with the phone systems we use. Our phone lines now run through our Internet connections eliminating our need for a traditional wired telephone line. This system is called VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP can be found in many businesses and it's becoming more used in the home as well. If this is something you are considering you might want to do some research first to make sure you find a reliable company that offers the features you need and has good customer service.

This article will discuss some of the major companies and help you to choose which is the best value VoIP for your home. There are many companies out there that will say they are the best but some of their customers might say different. If you call customer service and can't understand them I doubt you are going to be able to solve your problems.

A lot of the local cable and internet companies are offering VoIP, sometimes they offer it in a package with there cable or internet service so it might be a good value for you if your already a customer. If you are looking for a stand-alone company this wouldn't be the way to go, they will be higher in cost compared to a regular VoIP company.

So with that said you still have a wide variety of choices to pick from, they basically all have the same features, which include, caller id, call forwarding, voice mail, three way calling, unlimited long distance and more. The main thing will be the equipment, Are you going to lease theirs or buy your own? There could be advantages to both; you have to decide how much you want to spend up front. Some companies charge an activation fee. This can vary from $36.00-$150.00 depending on the package you choose.

Some require a contract for a certain period of time and will charge you an early cancellation fee if you decide to cancel before the contract is over. Lets look at some of the top companies.

First there is Vonage, it's probably one of the biggest companies right now, they offer an unlimited plan for $24.99 a month, this includes voicemail, 3-way calling, call waiting, call forwarding, caller id with name, and 911 dialing. They offer Unlimited local and long distance calls anywhere in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and select European countries. They charge a $29.99 activation fee and $9.99 shipping and handling fee. They also offer the chance to keep your current phone number. They will provide the equipment if you sign up directly through them.

Next we have Sun rocket, they offer two great plans one is yearly for $199.00 the other is monthly for $24.95. They have several great features as well including 3-way calling, voice mail, call return, find me, call waiting, speed dial, do not disturb, call logs, distinctive rings, caller id with name, and online account management. They also offer the ability to keep your current phone number. They don't have any contracts so there is no commitment. They don't require a charge to activate the service. They also provide a 31-day money back guarantee. They send you the equipment as well as a free phone with their current promotion.

Another great value voip company is Packet 8 They offer three plans including a yearly plan for $199.00, A monthly plan for $19.99, and an unlimited global plan for $49.99 a month .So depending on your needs they have a plan for you. Features include, caller id, call waiting, voicemail, do not disturb, find me, follow me, online account management,
anonymous call blocking, and the ability to keep your current number. They offer a 30-day no risk trial period. For the yearly plan the total cost to start is$ 228.99 this includes activation and the year of service. For the monthly plan it is $49.98 this includes the activation and the first month of service, the equipment is free with the instant rebate. There is a $59.99 cancellation fee if the user terminates in the first 12 months.

These are a sample of the companies available to you, they all have pros and cons, and you have to be the one to decide what is the best value VoIP service for your family. Everyone has different needs so what I consider the best value might not be right for you. To help you decide which company to choose ask your self these questions, how many minutes do we use a month? Where do we call? Are they local or do we call a lot of long distance? What about calling other countries, what features do we need? And how much are we willing to pay up front? There are websites that will list the features of the different companies.

Another thing you need to consider is if your Internet connection is able to handle VoIP you can go to the following Website to determine this. http://www.consumersearch.com/www/internet/voip/index.html and run a test on your system to make sure it will meet the requirements. If the tests all pass then you should be Okay to give VoIP a try, Just do a little research and decide which company offers the best value VoIP service that is right for you.
Heather Shockney