Choosing The Cheapest VoIP Provider
Here are some things to look for when trying to find the cheapest VoIP providers. These can vary depending on a company’s service offerings, features, etc. The things listed here are general ones. Remember, cheapest does not mean best, but it means effective. Many VoIP providers offer similar features and cost similar amounts. It is really just a matter of finding the best one for you.
What makes the cheapest VoIP service provider: Most offers a long contract. Longer contracts will usually make for cheaper monthly rates. Offers free international calling as well. Also, delivers free local and long distance calls at discounted rates.
Does not charge high rates for international calling or set up fees and does not have many added on charges. This is the ideal VoIP services provider for the customer who wants inexpensively good quality international calling and is flexible to changing plans. Features to look for in the cheapest voip provider are: unlimited calling, unlimited local calling, free-phone number, and free long distance and international calling. It should also offer simple and easy to use software to set up, integrate, manage, and monitor your calling plans.
What kind of phone system will work for you: Different people have different needs. Some may need an integrated voice and video-phone system with cameras and microphones. Others may not. There are even those who do not want any additional hardware. Look for your calling needs before looking for the cheapest voip providers so that you know what features and services you are getting.
Which type of plans are offered by the cheapest voip provider? There are several types of plans offered by the cheapest voip providers. One is hosted IP phones and another is barebones plan where you get a basic plan and pay a low monthly fee. Hosted IP phone systems are perfect for small businesses since it allows you to connect over the internet with voice and data at amazingly low rates.
Hosted IP phones have a basic plan features such as voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, call waiting for voice messages, and unlimited calls to other people in the same network. The cheapest VoIP providers usually provide this service. There are startups with cheap IP phones like Siali who offers a simple single-line IP phone for $8.95 monthly. Siali also has an application called Siali Socks which connects to Siali to enable instant messaging among its users.
Resell services are another type of voice bundles that are offering value for money. There are companies like Vodafone, that provides a Resale feature that allows you to bundle your VoIP service with your mobile phone and make unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles. Vodafone Resale feature charges different rates depending on the connection speed and the per-minute rates are fixed. You can either buy a Resale bundle or subscribe to their basic service plan.
Apart from these service providers, there are several other smaller service providers offering VoIP services. Some of these are and Iridium. These companies compete with the giants like Cisco and Nortel in terms of providing a great VoIP experience. In order to get the cheapest VoIPo plan, look out for special promotions that the companies may have running. Some of these include sending SMS to other Skype users, free internet phone number, and so forth.
The other aspect that you need to check out while choosing the cheapest VoIP provider is the calling plans. Make sure that there are no additional recurring charges like long-distance fees and additional long distance charges. Look out for the caller id and call recording features as well. The call recording and caller id are a vital part of a VoIP phone service, and they are essential for making international long distance calls at very cheap rates.
There are certain VoIP providers that offer discounted bundled phone services along with their VoIP phone service. These might be great options for you if you are looking for the cheapest provider. However, just because these are the cheapest providers does not mean that they offer a quality service. Check out the quality of voice quality through the customer feedback and try out the toll-free phone number that you have subscribed with. If the voice quality is good, then it could be a great choice for you.
Always make sure that the terms and conditions are clear and that you are aware of them. You might want to change your voip services in the future as it may become beneficial for you. Do not sign up for an oil services until you are satisfied with their services. Never be in a hurry to switch over to another provider in case your existing VoIP provider has better plans. Switching over will mean huge cost and disadvantages as you might lose your business.
