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Consumers have little knowledge of free line rental products due to the fact that they are a pretty recent trend. It is their lack of populartiy that allows them to remain the most cost effective mobile cell phone contracts available today.

Without doubt the most competitively priced place to find a free line rental deal is over the net. As free line rental packages are an unusual package it is sensible to to use a cell phone comparison site to indentify the most competitive packages on the day.

A free line rental contract is a type of refund by redemption deal. With a free line rental deal you are obligated to pay the bill exactly the same as you would with any other contract for the first months until you get your one hundred percent refund. Then it is your responsibility to remember to claim the cost of the mobile cellular phone back from the store that initially gave you the mobile cellular phone.

Theoretically a 12 month free line rental phone contract does not cost a dime to run. That is, as long as the person taking out the contract correctly makes a request for for cashback. This is not as easy as it first seems because of the fact that vendors include sneaky pre-requisites in the conditions of free line rental contracts in order to control the quantity of successful consumers.

Free line rental is will always be a compromise, as they are usually only offered on cheaper handsets. The major problem of free line rental offers is the fact that in the event that the shop go bust you will lose the ability to get your refund.

Despite the complications of free line rental contracts they remain genuine and consumers are still able to get one hundred percent free mobile for 12 months.

This may seem a funny question, as, how can something that is free be good value?

The issue is that whilst the sim card may be free, the calls are not, and, it is often the case that the call charges are higher when using a free sim.

All the free sim cards tend to be given on pay as you go contracts, and pay as you go are notoriously more expensive on a per call basis. Sure, if you do not use your phone, then it will not cost you anything as there is no line rental to pay, but, if you use your phone extensively, it does not take long for your expenditure to exceed what it would cost you on a monthly contract.

Conversely, on a monthly contract, you are likely to be given a free handset, clearly, if you take a free sim card this offer will not be extended to you, as the network has not idea, let alone guarantee that you will use it to make calls. Therefore, the network has no idea if it will make a profit from you.

In short, free sim cards are a great idea if you do not plan to make many calls with them. They are good for a spare phone. However, if you plan to use your phone in this way, check whether the credit expires on your card. For example, some networks attach a 3 month life to their credit, so, if you do not use your phone for three months, or do not use all of the credit within this period you will lose it!

Prepaid calling cards are the “in thing” these days. Everyone has a cell phone and everyone wants to keep in touch with their family and friends. However, what most people don’t want are the endless bills and charges that make them pay a huge amount of money to the phone company. Hence, in this regard using a calling card is a great idea to save money on your long distance calls.

Most of the prepaid calling card companies offer low cost national and international calls. A credit call card or a post paid card charges rates based on the day, time and the duration of the call. On the other hand, prepaid calling cards charge a flat rate per minute. However, it may happen that certain prepaid calling cards may charge a higher amount for international calls than the domestic calls.

Prepaid calling cards are perfect for people who do not like surprises. You are constantly updated about the balance on your calling card. Relying on payphones, for example, one needs change to make calls. With a calling card, however, that is not the case. Instead, you are billed upfront and will never end up with astronomical bills. Another great advantage of a prepaid calling card is that you can exactly budget your call. Further, prepaid calling cards are available everywhere from convenience stores to the airport. Hence, it is easy to acquire them.

Although many people choose to go with the more well-known companies (i.e. MCI, or AT&T) when choosing their prepaid cards that can oftentimes be a mistake. Some smaller company cards may offer a much better deal for you, especially online calling card retailers. Here are three things to look at before you purchase a prepaid calling card:

1. Check for connection fees. Many cards not only charge for the actual minutes you use but they add in a fee to connect your phone call. Try and avoid this type of fee if you can because fees reduce the actual number of minutes you will actually receive.
2. Read the card details. Make sure the card does what you need for it to do. For example, there are cards available that have better in state calling rates then out of state rates. So make sure that you read the “small print” for your card so that you get the most minutes for your money.
3. Look at the convenience factor: For example, many cards are now rechargeable. Some companies charge a recharge fee and others do not. This is a great convenience because you can now program your card numbers into your phone and save the gas needed to go out a buy a new one

In summary, prepaid calling cards are great for keeping in touch and managing your budget at the same time. Virtually free of fixed charges, prepaid calling cards offer you the choice of convenient, cheap and hassle free calling around the world.

VoIP is turning out to be the technological innovation of the century. VoIP is registering over 100% growth annually and the chief patrons as of now seem to be businesses because with the ‘PROPER’ application of VoIP they are able to cut down their operating costs by almost 40%. The key word here is ‘PROPER’. This article will shed some light on the factors which play a vital role in the successful implementation of VoIP as a business tool.

To make a successful transition onto VoIP you should:

• Not discard your existing system altogether, but build up a hybrid system which combines both VoIP & PSTN as there are quite a few rough edges still existing in the domain of inter-operability between the existing system and VoIP.

• Do a proper survey of all the VoIP service providers and ask about their service quality with special emphasis on the type of algorithms they employ because the voice quality depends to a very large extent on the algorithms. Also get to know about their ASR (answer seizure ratio) it is a measure of the number of calls properly terminated, that’s why it can give you an insight into the quality of the routes the service provider uses, so a good ASR would mean that the VoIP service provider is offering quality services.

• Look for players who have expertise in various applications of VoIP like video conferencing, toll free numbers, DID( direct inward dialing number), calling cards because if the VoIP service provider is able to handle applications of various hues that would mean that the system used is stable and that he has an all encompassing expertise of VoIP.

• Make sure to ask about customer support services, as initially you would need a great deal of expert help to get your VoIP bandwagon rolling.

As with anything new, a proper approach can guarantee that you reach the objectives you had set out for and in the case of VoIP it’s even truer. Follow these rules and the transition of your business onto VoIP would surely be easy.

VoIP Phone Service
ALEN
voip-traffic.com

Internet technology is constantly introducing new and better ways to communicate with others around the world, and making telephone calls using VoIP technology is one of those advancements. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it allows a computer user who is connected to the internet through a high-speed terminal to make telephone calls to another computer or telephone without using a standard telephone company.

Essentially, there are two kinds of VoIP applications to consider, either hardware or software based. If you choose the software solution, you’ll have to have your computer turned on in order to both make and receive telephone calls, but the only equipment you’ll need is a microphone and speakers connected to your computer.

If you choose the hardware solution instead, you’ll be using a converter box called an ATA that will be attached to your high-speed internet connection. Your telephone can then be plugged into the ATA. The converter box takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it to a digital signal to be sent over the internet in data packets, which are then reassembled on the other end of the telephone connection. By using a hardware VoIP solution, you computer does not have to be on in order for you to make and receive telephone calls, although your Internet connection will have to be active. Many VoIP service providers are including the ATA at very low cost or even for free in some cases.

In order to make use of VoIP technology for placing internet telephone calls, you will need to subscribe to a service plan provided by one of the major VoIP companies in business today. The service plans are usually very inexpensive, often providing for unlimited long-distance telephone calling for as little as $25 per month. You can even save more by choosing a calling plan that places a limit on the amount of minutes used each month, bringing your total cost down to as low as $15 a month.

In addition to domestic long-distance phone calling, many VoIP providers also allow you to make international telephone calls to persons outside of their subscriber base for a per minute fee, sometimes as low as $.10 to $.15 per minute. Some providers even allow free long-distance telephone calling as long as it is carried out between individuals in their own subscriber base.

If you choose to use a hardware VoIP solution, you can expect to spend some time on the phone with customer support in order to get your system up and running correctly, but most likely you’ll be able to experience uninterrupted service from that point on. Also you can expect voice quality to be excellent in most cases, often rivaling that of land line telephones.

When you consider all the advantages of using VoIP technology to place telephone calls over the internet, it’s no wonder that so many consumers are turning to VoIP for their long-distance telephone calling needs.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including communication. You can find broadband telephone service and voip michigan and more by visiting our communication website.

With the increased adoption of high-speed Internet across the U.S. and abroad, it has become much easier to send and receive large amounts of data without affecting bandwidth. What this means for consumers is that they can now download huge files quickly, browse multiple web pages simultaneously, and even make telephone calls over the Internet; an emerging technology known as VoIP.

VoIP stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol ” and it is quite simply a way of using the Internet to make and receive telephone calls. The primary reason VoIP is becoming so popular is cost and convenience; as VoIP is significantly less expensive than typical local and long distance telephone service offered by the phone companies. Additionally, one high-speed Internet connection can serve for multiple VoIP telephone lines.

How does VoIP Work?

A normal telephone line would sit there and do nothing if it weren’t connected to a network called the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). This is how the traditional phone companies route telephone calls from one person to another. In VOIP service, the PSTN is replaced by the Internet as the network for routing phone calls, and is proven to be faster, more efficient and cost effective.

Using VoIP, a person’s voice is transmitted into digital data that is then sliced into small fragments called packets that are sent across the Internet at lightning speed. These packets are then reconstructed and heard on the receiving phone. Sounds like allot going on during a phone conversation, but most people who use VoIP phones don’t even know they are making telephone calls over the Internet; the call quality is that good.

In order for VoIP phone calls to have the same quality that consumers are accustomed to when using traditional phone service, a certain bandwidth (the amount of data that can be sent) is required. Broadband Internet access, either cable or DSL, provides the necessary bandwidth for VoIP phone service to be found acceptable by consumers.

The Features of VoIP

In addition to making high-speed Internet access more cost-effective, VOIP service provides subscribers with significantly cheaper local and long distance telephone service. Most VoIP providers charge between $20 - $25 per month and this includes unlimited calling to the U.S. and Canada.

Additionally, all the features that traditional phone companies usually charge for like voicemail, caller id, call waiting; three-way calling, simultaneous ring and the ability to choose your own area code are included in the price.

Another driver for using VoIP is that it is portable. In other words, consumers can take their phone number anywhere they move to; even if it is just on vacation.

Click here for more in-depth information about VoIP. Michael Brito is an internet marketing consultant and freelance writer for a variety of consumer related products.

The meshing of old analog telephone connections and VoIP service means that there has to be something that sort of brings the two together so that customers don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the new devices needed for VoIP service. A VoIP gateway acts as a bridge between the old and the new, allowing customers to use their same phone lines, their same phones, but still enjoy the benefits of modern technology. A VoIP gateway is essentially responsible for connecting your VoIP network to your public telephone network so that you can keep using features on your old telephone but also use the VoIP network.

The VoIP gateway aides in call detection and call origin so you can get the calls when they come through. Live VoIP requires that there is a gateway or bridge between the old telephone mechanics and the new VoIP technology. This gateway will become even easier in the future as the newer technology becomes more common than the old. The VoIP gateway is also partially responsible for converting the analog to a digital voice so that voice quality remains clear and true. Without a gateway you may not get your calls and voice conversion wouldn’t be what it is now!

A gateway and a router are really what make it all happen so that a consumer can take advantage of the great quality and services that VoIP has to offer. When you sign up for VoIP service you may get more information about the specific gateway that your provider uses and they’ll be able to give you more detailed and in-depth information about the technology associated with it. The technology is so fascinating that it’s hard not to stop and listen to all the details!

Laura Rupert is a freelance writer who contributes to The Tech FAQ.

Over the past 6 years I have been watching the growth of the Internet Based Telephone Industry. With the bursting popularity of Broadband or High Speed Internet like DSL, Cable Modem, or Satellite, telephone service has become a natural addition of applications to run over the Internet.

Many people are not aware that most of the major telephone companies use the Internet to route their long distance calls already and have been for years. They use a protocol called SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to offer Voice Over IP (VoIP). This same protocol is available in many of the leading messaging programs like Skype, MSN, AOL, etc … For many years people have been using this protocol to talk over long distances on their computers using programs called “Softphones”. Softphones are basically computer programs that run on computers and use the sound card in a computer to convert analogue sound, like a voice, to digital packets that can be carried over the Internet. Then some program or device on the other end can decode the packets and play them back. Of course it goes in both directions. Thus you can use it like a telephone.

This same softphone technology is being embedded in small devices called Analog Telephone Adapters or ATAs. These devices have really become popular in the past few years and the quality of the devices have greatly increased. ATAs basically connect to a normal telephone in your house on one side and to the internet on the other. The ATA acts as a gateway translating the sound from the telephone into SIP that goes over the internet and eventually to the phone system where it is decoded and passed on to regular telephones.

Many companies over the past 5 years have tried to make a business plan using ATA devices. The most popular is Vonage. Vonage has spent literally 10s of millions of dollars on advertising and have established a good market. Their latest adds say they are a million customers strong. I can remember when they were just in a few local markets. Many companies have followed their lead like USP Connect, Packet8, Sun Rocket, etc … All these companies have worked out agreements with national and international carriers like ATT, MCI, WorldCom, etc… to pass to them SIP traffic and vice versa. This allows them to offer full residential telephone service over the Internet. The dirty little secret that telephone companies will not tell you is that, it is whole lot cheaper to route with SIP than normal analogue phone systems. Therefore, since these new companies do not have to pay for copper telephone wire in the ground like most telephone companies, or for big analogue based switches, their prices are a lot cheaper. Also, Internet based telephone systems are not taxed like local telephone companies. It is not uncommon to get telephone service from $9.99 for 500 minutes a month to $24.99 for unlimited long distance and local calls. You may have to pay a federal excise tax of $2.00 or so, but not all of the crazy taxes and fees like a company like Qwest would charge. It is impossible to understand the bill most of time with Qwest. Qwest, Verizon, SBC, Sprint and other local traditional telephone companies can charge more than $20 a month in taxes and fees. They advertise a $20.00 a month special but then add $20.00 in taxes and fees which are never explained to you. They also have a nasty habit of selling your telephone numbers to telemarketers that inundate you until you can get on the National Do Not Call List. On top of that they will charge you extra for Long Distance. I am always amazed the way people are brainwashed to think they are getting a good deal at $20.00 a month when in reality it is more like $55-$75 a month with taxes, fees, and extra packages.

The other thing you get with SIP based phones are all the new bells and whistles like Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Voice Mail, and 3 Way calling without additional cost. It is just included in their base packages. International calls are also significantly less expensive as well. It is not uncommon to be able to call Asia for 2 or 3 cents a minute or Europe of 1.5 cents a minute.

Additionally, now it is possible to take an ATA anywhere in the world and call another ATA anywhere in the world on the same network for no long distance cost at all. All you need is a high speed internet access and just plug it in and connect it to a phone. You can get your local calls anywhere. You also can have virtual telephone numbers anywhere. If you live in one state, but would like people in another area to call you at no charge or with a local call, you can get a telephone number from that area and have it virtually routed to you ATA where ever you are. So you can have numbers in CA, NY, FL and WY all ringing the same ATA. You can get virtual 800 numbers. Never have anyone call you collect again. Give you children an 800 number to call you from college or from a payphones where ever they may be. This is really an exciting industry and growing quickly.

Now there are some Cons to this type service. If the power goes out, the ATA turns off. So does your TV, refrigerator, air conditioner and all of your cordless phones in the house anyway. However, since you are not connecting to a computer, it can break without any repercussion on your service. The use of 911 is becoming more available with the advent of E911. Congress has mandated that all VoIP providers now support E911 that acts the same as regular 911. However there are some older areas in the world that are not equipped to receive E911 so the best the provider can do is give you the general emergency assistance number there. If you live in areas like this, use a cell phone for emergencies or keep a local land line for emergencies and dial long distance over SIP. It will still save you hundreds of dollars a year. You also may need a little assistance setting it up if you are technically challenged. However, be rest assured it is a one time setup of plugging the right wires where they go and you are off and going. So don’t be scared if you are over 60 years old. Your generation can benefit too from this technology.

The best thing is that this industry is very competitive. Because of the low cost of the service, companies can do some attractive marketing plans. I personally use USPConnect because they offer a very aggressive referral program and have a very high quality of service. If you would like more information go to www.Free4LifeCalls.com.

So don’t believe the hit pieces placed by local telephone companies bashing VoIP based phones. They are running scared. It is becoming very apparent that in the future traditional telephone service will become obsolete. They are all moving to VoIP, so you should too and take advantage of the great savings! I personally believe that telephone service should be free and I can use the money I save to go golfing or something.

This ain’t your Daddy’s old land line Telco anymore! Times are a changin’.

Wilford Lee
Technology Consultant
http://www.Free4LifeCalls.com

With the use of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by all reports rapidly expanding, several recent cases have exposed serious vulnerabilities with the service. However fraud is an everyday occurrence so I for one wouldn’t base my decision solely on these events.

As per previous articles I have written and various on my “About VoIP Information” website, security vulnerabilities for VoIP do exist and have been and continue to be seriously examined and worked through by industry. However two recent cases act as a reminder that all holes have not been closed.

In Australia it has been reported that a very public VoIP provider Engin had it’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software cracked by a hacker who publicly exposed how to obtain details of other customer’s orders in a post on the broadband site Whirlpool. Engin reportedly resolved the problem the next morning before any advantage was gained.

Engin appeared very honest and forthright admitting the problem and fixes that would be put in place with blame attributed to a third party programming consultancy responsible for programming of the CRM. Despite credit card details apparently not recorded in the area that became accessible, it does highlight the ease at which confidential personal information can be accessed, not something that is usually considered a security problem related to VoIP.

In the very public case two arrests have been made in early June for breaking into a New York companies network and spoofing VoIP traffic to its service provider. Wholesale phone connections were then offered at discount rates in a pseudo-service provider manner with a resultant 100% profit margin for the fraudsters.

TMCnet Executive Editor Robert Lui reported that one security expert advised the problem could have been easily adverted. It is suggested that multiple security products are required for securing VoIP networks which to some degree is in line with the layered or defence in depth security principle ie more layers of security making it more difficult to get through.

Despite these two reported cases and significant discussion and reporting about a diverse range of security considerations and concerns, it must be remembered that fraud is part of everyday life and regardless of how many checks and balances are put in place, a determined criminal will eventually be successful. Such is the case with credit cards for example, passports and other identification documents. The message in my view to take away is review the service providers performance and virtually by the numbers game, assuming all advisable security precautions are adhered to, it would be unlucky to be a victim of hacking.