VoIP has been marketed as the affordable alternative to traditional land line calling since it first started being advertised in commercials years ago. As a stand alone product the pricing seems too good to pass up, especially with the promise of quality voice communications for less but is it really an affordable option that anyone can afford?

The technology of broadband phone typically allows for calls to be made domestically for one small monthly fee throughout the country on the most popular calling plans and usually has very low international rates associated with the plan as well. Technology has allowed for better voice quality so that you never even notice a difference between VoIP service and your old phone line. It is a great advancement for consumers and businesses worldwide looking to make calls for less, or is it?

VoIP is the abbreviated terminology for Voice over Internet Protocol. The keyword to look for in this definition of VoIP is Internet. The word Internet means that this technology cannot be accessed without an Internet connection and while it may not seem like much, the word Internet in relation to VoIP is everything.

The truth is, in reality it will only be as affordable as the Internet providers will allow. Your Internet connection or the lack of thereof is a pricing factor that must not be forgotten when considering the move from traditional phone service to broadband phone. You need a minimum of 90 Kbps upload and download speed to run VoIP from your Internet but if you use your computer for browsing the web with the service you may find you need a lot of bandwidth to function while talking over your service.

Some companies such as Packet8 use compression technology that better enable communications with less bandwidth usage meaning you may not need to beef up your broadband access to utilize the services. Some companies like Vonage however it is necessary to make sure you have the required bandwidth if not more to use services uninterrupted.

If you do not have Internet access then you will want to consider getting it and it is recommended you go high speed. The common problem with high speed is not usually the costs of Internet but what you have to purchase in addition to Internet.

Cable high speed Internet usually requires the purchase of television cable services as well. Do you watch much television or want cable television in your home? You might have to consider that option if you are wanting cable Internet.

With DSL the usual option requires a phone land line to your place of residency and that creates a whole new set of problems. You are wanting to replace your old service not combine it with VoIP. You end up paying for a land line and monthly broadband phone fees.

If you are a business and have many phone lines, you will find that if you previously subscribed to simple DSL services you may need to upgrade to a T1 or T3 line.

The costs can skyrocket dramatically when adding additional services to achieve the goal of just one. You will have to think it over before changing or you may find you are wasting extra money or paying more than you were before the switch. Gather your current bills together and do some price searching and find out if it really will make sense to switch to VoIP technology.