One of the main consumer concerns that slowed the early trend towards VOIP phone services was the concern that phone communication done via Internet would not have enough network coverage to allow for appropriate use for the common individual. When many people think of VOIP, they think of a phone that can only be used when sitting next to a home computer at home, but this is hardly the case, and the available network of areas that can use VOIP continue to grow every day!



VOIP phone systems offer an alternative to the older landline telephone services. There are many large, as well as other smaller local companies, who are involved in providing VOIP service, and as the network size continues to increase, so does the demand for service. While larger cities tend to have better coverage networks for VOIP services than other more rural places, the network of coverage continues to grow, allowing for more and more people to take advantage of VOIP networks.

There are many different options for which network you can hook up with. Much of that will depend on what type of VOIP service providers are in your area. There are many companies that act as service providers, including Skype, VoiceGlo, and Vonage, among many others. Vonage is by far and away the best known of all VOIP services, and has a distinct advantage in that it can offer a full range of services because it has one of, if not the, best network of any VOIP provider.

Vonage is mid range as far as pricing goes, and gives some of the best service. Vonage not only can replace your normal phone line at home, but with the addition of a VOIP phone, you can also have a portable phone to take with you. A VOIP phone has service wherever you can go online with the Internet, and many cities are making plans to increase the numbers of areas where free "wi-fi" will be available, which will do for portable VOIP phones what cell towers did for the cell phone.

So what about VOIP at home? The software for VOIP is online and can easily be downloaded to the computer. Once this is done, you can communicate with any friends, associates, or family that has the same software, but instead of running up the phone bill, you don't get charged long distance: you just pay for the original service and then from your home your phone service acts exactly as it would otherwise.

You even use the phone, except technically you are calling through the computer instead of an old phone line, which saves you a lot of money if you are trying to save on long distance costs. From any house with Internet and VOIP, you have the ability to call anyone else with Internet and VOIP, and you don't have to worry about chatting too long, or about what parts of the day, night, or weekend you need to call, because you're not getting charged.

In that sense, VOIP networks are rapidly becoming as efficient as many of the more traditional phone company networks, and even more so than some cell phones.