Considering Ditching Your Traditional Phone Line In Favor Of Voip? Questions To Ask To Determine If Voip Is Right For You
More people than ever are ditching their traditional phone lines in favor of voice over internet protocol, or VoIP services. This type of service uses allows your traditional landline to be run through your internet service, helping to drastically decrease the costs associated with a home phone line. However, while VoIP may be perfect for some homes, it is not ideal for every household. Here are a few of the questions you should ask yourself when determining whether VoIP is ideal for you and your household:
Do You Have Stable Internet Service?
One of the first questions you will want to ask yourself is whether you have stable internet service. If your internet service constantly cuts in and out or your power frequently goes out in during storms, VoIP may not be a great option for you. In order for the phone service to work, you need to be connected to the internet. If your power is out or the internet is down at your home, you won't be able to use the VoIP landline. If you live in a rural area or an area that does not have dependable internet or energy services, you may be better off sticking with a traditional landline that will still work if your internet or power goes out.
Does Everyone Have Access to Other Phone Lines in the Home?
Another factor to consider when deciding whether or not to ditch your traditional landline is whether everyone in your home has access to other phone lines in your home. If you live in a house with teenagers and everyone has their own cell phone, having a VoIP landline may work because you all have a back-up in case the internet or power goes out. However, if you have toddlers in your home, they may not know how to unlock your cell phone or where to find it in the event of an emergency. If your VoIP is down and a toddler can't use your phone, an emergency situation can go from bad to worse. As such, carefully consider whether everyone has access to phones in your home before switching to VoIP.
Do Your Children Know Your Home Address?
Lastly, you need to consider whether everyone in your home knows the address of your home. One of the biggest benefits to a traditional landline is that emergency services can determine where the call is coming from almost immediately. If you live with a toddler, young child or someone with memory issues, they may not know the address. It can take minutes to trace a VoIP call to determine where the call is being originated from if the caller does not know the address. In an emergency situation, you may not have minutes. As such, you need to ensure everyone in the household knows the address and can recite it, or VoIP may not be a great option for you.
There are many benefits to switching your traditional landline to a phone run through your Internet service. However, there are some cons to this as well. Asking yourself key questions will help you decide if VoIP makes sense for your household or if you are better off sticking to your traditional phone line.
