| With the advent of widespread broadband
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| | over the internet. In IP telephony, much
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| Internet connections, consumers are
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| | progress has been made on a standard
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| discovering what businesses have known
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| | called T.38, whose mission is to convert
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| for a while. Voice over IP telephony, or
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| | the fax sound into sendable data. Another
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| VoIP as it is known, can be a viable and
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| | option is iFax, the T.37 standard that
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| cost effective alternative to the Plain
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| | sends faxes as an email attachment or a
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| Old Telephone System (POTS).
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| | remote printout using the Internet
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| As VoIP upstarts are popping up
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| | Printing Protocol. Today, separate Fax
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| everywhere, most notably Vonage, Packet8
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| | lines can be added by most VoIP providers
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| and Skype, even the big Internet Service
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| | for an extra charge.
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| Providers are offering voice over IP
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| | Emergency services such as 911 are also
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| packages to their residential subscribers
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| | an issue with IP telephony. It is the
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| Such features as caller ID, call
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| | nature of the Internet that tying a
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| forwarding, automatic redial, and even
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| | particular node to a geographic location
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| 3-way calling are standard on most VoIP
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| | is quite difficult, and street addresses
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| packages, whereas many phone companies
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| | are not easily routed to a nearby call
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| consider them add on's and will charge
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| | center. In the U.S., the FCC has mandated
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| you extra. But the real kicker is, if it
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| | that VoIP providers implement Enhanced
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| is right for you and you pick the right
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| | 911 (E911). Providers are making progress
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| Voice over IP solution, you should be
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| | by encouraging their customers to
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| able to reduce your phone bill by half or
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| | register a street address to their phone
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| more.
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| | number, enabling them to route emergency
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| How Does Voice over IP Work?
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| | calls to a nearby call center.
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| IP Telephony is a packet switching
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| | Voice over IP and Broadband Connections
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| technology, as opposed to circuit
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| | While a broadband connection is not
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| switching as used by the PSTN (Public
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| | absolutely necessary, it is what makes
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| Switched Telephone Network). The PSTN
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| | VoIP shine. Many households are turning
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| method uses copper wires to physically
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| | to DSL or cable modems for their internet
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| connect one caller to another through a
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| | connections, and wireless broadband WiFi
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| series of circuit switches, as
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| | hotspots are popping up everywhere.
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| illustrated by the switchboard operators
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| | The problem with DSL is that it is
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| of old.
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| | provided by telephone companies which for
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| In voice over IP, the analog voice is
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| | the most part require you to have a
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| converted into digital packets that are
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| | landline, pretty much defeating the
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| routed through the internet, and in the
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| | purpose. Some regional Telco's are
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| case of one of the parties being on a
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| | starting to unbundle their DSL services
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| PSTN connection, the packets are routed
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| | by offering "naked DSL", an Internet
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| to the nearest local switching station
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| | connection without the analog line on the
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| and placed back on the PSTN. If both
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| | local loop. When you think about it,
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| persons are using VoIP, then there is no
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| | there really doesn't seem to be much
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| reason to use the PSTN, and the entire
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| | motivation for the Telco's to promote
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| conversation takes place over the
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| | VoIP, as it would effectively be like
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| Internet.
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| | cutting their revenues in half.
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| Needless to say, this is much more cost
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| | If your household has cable television,
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| effective than using land lines for the
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| | you more than likely can get broadband
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| entire distance. If a caller in New York
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| | access through a cable modem. Most cable
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| uses VoIP to call a PSTN number in
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| | providers charge around $50 a month for
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| Seattle, the call doesn't leave the
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| | broadband internet access, and for those
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| internet until it reaches the switching
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| | who utilize the Internet often, a high
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| station in Seattle, making it for all
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| | speed internet connection is well worth
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| practical purposes, a local call.
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| | the price. Some cable IPS's offer
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| The Drawbacks of Voice over IP Telephony
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| | residential Voice over IP for $40-$50 a
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| There are some points that one should
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| | month. Through the pure play VoIP
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| seriously consider when thinking about
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| | companies like Vonage or Packet8, you can
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| dumping the POTS. VoIP generally requires
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| | get VoIP for around $15-$25 a month,
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| a Broadband Internet connection, which in
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| | potentially eliminating the need for a
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| turn requires power. If a power outage
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| | land line at all.
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| should occur, you have no telephone
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| | Wireless networks also work great for
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| service. Battery backups could solve this
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| | VoIP, and are especially convenient if
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| problem, but not on a long term basis.
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| | you travel a lot. Hotspots all over the
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| Internet Service Providers (ISP's) also
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| | world allow you to call anywhere using a
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| have a tendency to go down occasionally,
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| | WiFi VoIP phone. Internet phones come in
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| though they are getting better all the
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| | all shapes and sizes with all kinds of
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| time. Calls can be forwarded to your cell
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| | bells and whistles. From a full business
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| phone if your power is out, but in real
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| | desk phone from Cisco, to phones
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| disaster situation, even cell phones are
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| | indistinguishable from cell phones, even
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| not a perfect backup, as seen by
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| | regular cell phones that are VoIP capable
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| Hurricane Katrina. Faxing over an IP
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| | - new products and technologies are
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| network has proven to be problematic. Fax
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| | coming out every day to get you better
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| machines scan a document and convert the
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| | connected for less.
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| data into sounds, which don't travel well
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