Mobile Voice-over Internet Protocol: far-away calls, dirt-low costs

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Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

It’s a matter of fact: mobile phones can do a lot of cool things nowadays; unfortunately one think they generally don’t allow is making low price calls. Well… needless to say, we’ve seen improvements over the past years, where it concerns roaming and long distance charges. However - calling family, friends and associates overseas is still costly. Provided you’re someone who frequently makes international calls, there’s a good chance you’ve been having a hard time finding a really inexpensive plan; this is where VoIP might really do the trick.

What is VoIP, anyway?

At this point you might be curious about mobile VoIP, but let’s pause to consider the meaning of VoIP itself. Short for Voice-over Internet Protocol, VoIP is an emerging technology that allows you to make phone calls over an internet connection, bypassing all the costly taxes and fees associated with good old analog lines. Besides cutting costs, both private and business users get several other advantages from this technology: blocking calls, fax to email support and audio conferencing are just some exclusive benefits available to VoIP users. All of these unique advantages available from a mobile phone boil down to nothing less than a superior communications platform.

What You Need.

You might be excited about the idea of saving money through VoIP, but you should know there are some requirements. In order to use VoIP, your mobile handset must support wireless connectivity through one of the following technologies: 3G, Wi-Fi, EVDO or HSDPA. Also, you should sign up with a mobile phone provider which allows making calls over the internet though VoIP. Choosing the right provider is essential as the requirements vary from company to company. If you choose a VoIP provider which leverages Wi-Fi, you’ll have to be on a Wi-Fi range before making your calls. Other providers all you to seek out the best connection and make a call be it a Wi-Fi or 3G network.

Disadvantages

The benefits of mobile VoIP are obvious but there are some drawbacks to the technology. Since VoIP requires wireless connectivity, the biggest downside is concerned with finding a Wi-Fi connection. Even though Wi-Fi hotspots keeps expanding, there’s still a good chance you won’t get wireless connection if rural areas or less crowded zones. And even though the signals can be improved, the reception from a Wi-Fi network isn’t always up to par, which could be terribly aggravating if you are trying to carry on an important conversation. Even though actual calls are likely to be extremely cheap of even free, you’ll usually have to purchase a data plan to get access to mobile VoIP.

Mobile VoIP is bound to improve

VoIP has become extremely popular in both the corporate and home setting. I can personally attest to the substantial cost savings you can get from ditching your analog phone line in favor of VoIP phone service. Judging from expert opinions, there’s a good chance the growth of the mobile business VoIP market will end up supporting the traditional mobile phone markets as well as VoIP. Though I’m still “overaging” myself to death with a ridiculous T-Mobile plan, the concept of mobile business VoIP is sounding more appealing everyday.

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