If you’re considering using VoIP for the first time, a short list of pros and cons can help you decide if VoIP would be right for you.
advantages
- The economic savings of using VoIP is, without a doubt, the greatest benefit.
- If the recipient is also connected to a VoIP service, you can usually make the call for free.
- There are a wide variety of services and providers available.
- The basic packages offered by many carriers often include features that would be charged extra on a traditional phone. Sound quality is usually much better too.
- While the emergency number used to be a problem for VoIP lines, this is no longer the case: some providers offer the 911 service itself and others E911 (enhanced 911).
- Often you can make more than one call per line.
cons
- A conventional phone will continue to work even during a blackout (except cordless phones), while your Internet connection will continue to work unless you have a power backup.
- The quality of service will depend on the quality of your Internet connection, so in some cases you may need to upgrade your Internet access. You need to take into account both downstream and upstream capacity. Not an easy test for low capacity connections (such as 125 kbps or less)
- You may need specific hardware or software that isn’t always free, or that some vendors offer for free but comes with a fixed-term contract.
- If you lose your Internet connection, even temporarily, your VoIP line will not work.
- The delay time of the telephone lines is more noticeable when using VoIP. If you plan to call landlines, you need to make sure that you won’t hear too much echo or delay in playing sound.
- If you use a fax machine, you need to make sure that it will work well with your VoIP line.
Now that all the main factors are illustrated, here’s one last piece of advice: If you’re planning to get a second phone line, try a VoIP service and compare one against the other, while enjoying the best of both worlds.