VoIP subscription included on our broadband package
Posted 11 October 2007 at 3:17PM by David Crowther in Doing business online, Email and communications
Over the next few weeks I'm going to be talking about VoiP, what it is, how you can use it and some of the groovy features that come as standard.
So what is VoiP?
Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP or internet telephony is the routing of voice conversations over the internet instead of your normal phone line. You can use VoIP by either downloading software (which provides a virtual phone) to your PC, buying a special phone that plugs directly into your PC or router, or use an adapter that goes between your standard phone and your broadband connection.
Now, if you're serious about saving money on your phone bill, VoIP should be one of the main options you're looking into. PC to PC calls are often free and calls to landlines, overseas, and also mobiles are generally cheaper than using your standard phone.
I've been using VoIP as my only business line for almost a year now and I don't think I'll ever switch back - it's just too convenient, not to mention the smaller phone bills.
If you already have business broadband with BT, then you're already VoiP enabled. All you have to do now is complete a simple registration process and away you go!
Tags: Broadband, BT, BT Business Total Broadband, internet telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP
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Comments
2. At October 11, 2007 5:18 PM, Ken Hatton wrote:
A bit out of date-old hat !!!!
3. At October 12, 2007 10:46 AM, Ray Baker wrote:
Have used voip for 90% of outgoing calls since April 07 works fine with no probs and it is cheap!
4. At October 12, 2007 10:56 AM, William Baskerville wrote:
I found it more expensive than land line.
5. At October 12, 2007 11:51 AM, Rhys Adams wrote:
Skype is excellent to use office locations, but as stated by James. Very unreliable when it comes to telephone calls.
At home its very different, we use Orange and on my £5 per month unlimited package. I can phone my Dad in Canada for free!
6. At October 12, 2007 11:58 AM, David Wicks wrote:
Ahhh VOIP....I have used the service and it is great!! It has reduced my phone bills and use it for my outgoing calls rather than my normal phone line. BT have got a new softphone thingy which allows you to make calls through lapy when i am away from the office. I would recommend this product and excellent support service from BT....happy customer :-)
7. At October 12, 2007 12:56 PM, Matthew Bamber wrote:
Never previously had a business broadband account...i am more than happy with decision i made to choose bt for its broadband and broadband voice package...after reviewing a number of possibilities, it was clear to myself that there was only one option to take which was BT. I have never had any issues with quailty of this service. But when required assistance has always been second to none!!!
8. At October 12, 2007 2:08 PM, Liz Davies wrote:
HAve £5 unlimited package from Orange, has saved me loads on BT bill as my kids live long way away. No problems with line or Orange.
9. At October 12, 2007 8:02 PM, G. Connolly wrote:
I have used voip for outgoing calls and fax too for almost 1 yr - those I call sense its different - higher pitched tone and some connection difficulty 5% of the time. Using it as a fax works on about 75% of calls - but this may be due to tech interface issues between my HP fax maunfacturer and compatability with BT - so check this before you buy to avoid woes.
Overall I like voip enough to stick with it. And I have always found someone in BT helpful when it comes to solving problems as long as you get the correct dept. For me this is really important as i'm sure all systems have their problems and i know when i have had a problem BT are very positive at addressing them whenever they arise.
10. At October 15, 2007 12:39 PM, Jim Duggan wrote:
wow this is old news, whats next? BT to deliver on amazing new 56k dialup modems?
VOIP can be good, it can be irratating...just like BT i suppose
11. At October 15, 2007 2:22 PM, AJ Styles wrote:
I found the service unrealiable. If you cant get at least a constant 2mb service then i found it was all over the place. I did have BT broadband but moved this away to Fast and what a difference. I kept the VOIP so i can keep in touch with my contacts in the US as it is cheap and works better on Fast than BT. Getting through to support though is quite difficult and speaking to someone who also speaks English as their primary language is also a problem.
12. At October 17, 2007 4:53 PM, Chris Paton wrote:
AJ, getting someone whose primary language is english shouldn't be difficult for a business customer. All of the business broadband callcenters are based the UK, 2 in scotland and the rest dotted around england.
You will of course get students from other countries working in these centers, but it's the same with any callcenter.
13. At October 18, 2007 1:43 PM, Rex Hanson wrote:
Ah, fallen into the trap !
Internet Telephony is indeed VOIP, but VOIP does not have to go anywhere near the Internet so the statement that VOIP is internet telephony is untrue and causes a lot of misunderstanding. Remember the IP stands for Internet Protocol, as distinct from having to use the Internet. You can use it between your house and garden shed if you have a LAN.
Also, if you make calls to land lines, you pay someone, somewhere. And with 256k upload speed, one call is enough on your ADSL if you wish to access the 'net at the same time. Voip services are a bit like cheap airlines, good as long as you accept that the low price comes with noticeable limitations. Service is only as good as the 'net, which at peak times can be iffy at best.
14. At October 19, 2007 10:02 AM, anjanesh babu wrote:
Rex Hanson's post takes the cake ! absolutely and perfectly agree with him.
VOIP is NOT a broadband exclusive technology.
broadband is ; and always will be a contention based service.
No one can garuntee broadband service simply because internet does not belong to anyone.
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1. At October 11, 2007 5:00 PM, JAMES LYON wrote: