When you’re looking for quality, affordable VOIP service, it’s sometimes hard to know which VOIP provider to choose. They all claim to be the best thing since sliced ​​bread or canned beer, but how do you separate marketing hype from reality?

The first thing to look at is your high-speed Internet connection at home. Please note that the VOIP provider has absolutely no control over the quality or reliability of your high-speed Internet connection, even though any VOIP service is highly dependent on the stability and reliability of that connection. If your home cable or DSL service isn’t strong, stable, and reliable, you won’t be satisfied with any VOIP service you get at any price, regardless of brand.

When comparing different VOIP providers, you should look at the features they offer with the service. Features are another category in which VOIP providers stand out by a wide margin over traditional phone services. VOIP providers offer many features that regular landline phone companies charge extra or cannot offer at all. Standard features include things like unlimited calling to other users on the same VOIP provider, unlimited calling locally and within the US, caller ID, and voicemail. They may offer other features as well, but make sure you don’t pay extra for features you’ll only use once every blue moon.

VOIP providers have been implementing “enhanced 911” or E911 where calls are routed to a 911 network which is then connected to a local 911 dispatch center. With E911, emergency dispatchers can see the caller’s location and callback numbers. If you’re considering a VOIP service that doesn’t offer the enhanced 911 services, run in the other direction, as it’s now a requirement in the US.

VOIP service can be very profitable for your home or small business. It uses your high-speed Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. But that comes with its own set of problems. For example, remember that we talked earlier about the reliability of your high-speed Internet connection? That becomes even more important because if your high-speed Internet connection goes down, your ability to make and receive phone calls goes down as well. Again, this is not a VOIP provider issue as they assume you already have a very reliable and stable internet connection.

If you live off the beaten track and the only high-speed Internet connection available to you is via satellite, don’t even think about VOIP. You’re not going to be happy because with today’s residential satellite technology, it just isn’t fast enough to provide reliable VOIP service.

There is no arguing the profitability of the VOIP service. With a traditional phone line from the local phone company, you pay about $25 a month just for the dial tone. Now compare that to VOIP service, where for less than that, you also get unlimited long distance, voicemail, caller ID, and maybe other features too.

Visit our website to learn more about who we recommend as your most cost-effective choice for reliable VOIP service and why we recommend them when compared to the other top contenders.