VoIP uses the Internet to make calls either through your computer or a phone. You can experience significant savings using this over the more traditional phone services available today. Many VoIP plans offer unlimited calling plans starting at an average of $25 per month and sometimes even lower. This will include all long distance calls. If you happen to have many family and friends, who live far away, that you talk to each month, this could amount to substantial savings.



Can you imagine not being charged by the minute or having to wait for non-peak hours to make your needed phone calls? If you have a business with many locations, you can whittle that long distance bill down to some reasonable charges, saving hundreds even thousands of dollars a year. This will also apply to conference calling. Although international calls are not included under this unlimited calling plan, the rates per minute are cheaper than a regular phone company charges. In fact, you can expect to save anywhere in the area of 40-70%. Some VoIP providers even provide unlimited international calling plans, when calling one of their own VoIP network subscribers. In addition, any PC-to-PC calls are always free to anywhere.

VoIP providers also often bundles premium features in their basic plans for that same one price. These features, such as call interrupt; caller id, voice mail and three-way calling, usually are an extra charge with the traditional services, but result in no additional cost with VoIP. Now you can experience more without paying more for it.

Part of the reason VoIP is cheaper is due to the fact that VoIP does not have the higher taxes and regulatory fees the FCC imposes on a telephone company. The reason for this is because the government recognizes VoIP as data transmission and not voice transmission. You also eliminate any hidden fees or line usage fees as are common with traditional telephone companies.

VoIP is also portable. Since you can take your IP phone with you wherever you go, when you travel, you can avoid either costly long distance fees on your hotel bill or eating up minutes on your cell phone plan. Even if you are hundreds of miles from the office you will have a local number eliminating the 'long distance' aspect. It will be like calling from your home location.

There are many ways you can save money with a VoIP service, and it is a reason so many people have signed onto their service. Price is one of its biggest draws. But VoIP also has great potential. People see this and are logging on as subscribers. It really isn't much of a decision whether to pay high costs for long distance, or get it cheap and even free. Why should you pay more when you don't have to?