Internet telephone service, also known as VoIP or voice over IP, is an exciting new technology that allows consumers to make phone calls through their broadband Internet connection (whether it is a cable or DSL modem).  Over 16 million America households already subscribe to a VoIP service.  Most find that VoIP is a better type of phone service and far superior to a traditional phone line in many ways.   If you are considering a move to VOIP, there are a few things you should know. 

In addition to standard phone service that you are already used to, VoIP offers many unique features that traditional phone companies do not.  Most notably, most VoIP services offer online services that allow their subscribers to receive  voicemail via email or through a website and manage their account through the Internet.  VoIP is also significantly cheaper than most standard phone service because Internet phone service plans typically include unlimited calling within the United States and some other countries and dozens of great premium features all in one low monthly fee.  Standard features like call waiting, voice mail, caller ID and three way calling are often included free of charge as well.

I have been reviewing VoIP service providers for many years and have found that there truly is a VoIP service for any consumer’s needs.  Whether you are looking for quality, lower costs or convenience, there is an Internet phone service that will meet your needs.

Vonage is the best overall consumer voice over IP provider and the only VoIP service that can truly replace standard phone service.  They offer call quality, service reliability and compelling pricing packages that are great for most consumers that are looking to make the switch to VoIP.  Vonage is also the largest VoIP provider in the United States with more than 2 million subscribers and has done a great job of scaling their network and customer support services as they have grown.

Vonage is not the cheapest VoIP service on the market but they offer a significant value when compared to many of the other VoIP providers.  Their unlimited monthly plan, which includes both domestic calls in the United States as well as international long distance calls to Canada, Puerto Rico, Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland is $24.99 per month.  Included in the price is a whole range of phone services and a web interface that is extremely easy to use.  Vonage is the best option for most consumers that are looking to make the switch to VoIP and particularly those that make frequent calls to Western Europe since many countries are included with their standard plan.

While Vonage represents an excellent value in Internet telephone service, there are other high quality providers that are cheaper and a good option for consumers that are willing to make small trade-offs in call quality in exchange for a lower monthly fee.  Voip.com is a favorite value provider of VoIP services.  Their $19.95 per month unlimited plan is the lowest for an unlimited calling plan that includes over 30 great features like web based voicemail and automated call forwarding.

Voip.com also has the lowest international long distance calling rates to the most frequently called countries like China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and India.  The call quality of the voip.com service is excellent, but not quite as good as Vonage.  Therefore voip.com is an excellent choice for cost conscience consumers that are ok with slightly lower call quality in exchange of 20% lower monthly bills.

The third voice over IP provider worth considering is ooma.  What makes ooma different than all of their competitors is that they don’t charge any monthly fees at all.  Instead, consumers buy an ooma hub which currently costs $399.  While that may seem like a high upfront cost to make the switch to VoIP, it is actually a significant value if you do the math.  Assuming that you will continue to use the ooma service for twenty-four months, your effective cost per month would be $16.63 which is lower than either Vonage or voip.com.  The savings on ooma internet phone service are even more significant if you remain a customer for longer.

Only calls within the United States are included with your one time ooma hub purchase.  International calls (including Canada) are charged per minute and vary by country.  They are not the lowest rates have out there for international VoIP calling, but they are reasonable especially given ooma’s overall value proposition.

I have looked at dozens of other VoIP providers and have been impressed with a few others including Internet phone services offered by well known companies like AT&T CallVantage and Verizon and lesser know VoIP provider VoIP Your Life and Packet8.  Each of these VoIP services offers some unique benefit and all you can not go wrong as long as you choose a reputable VoIP service that has been professionally reviewed.