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“Look Beyond Price When You Compare VOIP Long Distance Plans”

When you just compare the price of VOIP long distance plans, you're not getting the whole picture. Look at features, equipment, and scalability—can your VOIP service grow with you as your calling patterns change.

Go to: Unlimited Long Distance Plan½Unlimited Softphone½Video Phone

Now here comes the tricky part. When you compare VOIP long distance plans, you can get caught up finding the best deal by a few dollars and cents.

Choose the best plan for your phone needs based on the following criteria:

• Cost of the plan per month or per year
  If you want to pay month to month, the best unlimited long distance plan is $19.95/month from Voip.com or the yearly plan for $199/year (that's just over $16/month). But price isn't everything, so read on.
• Number and type of features offered
  
  You don't have to spend a lot of time studying calling features. But by learning about what VOIP features are out there, you'll see which ones work really well for you and which ones you'll never use. There's more than you think—30 features in some plans.
• Flexibility
  
  You should be able to turn features on and off on the fly from both the phone and an online control panel. You should also be able to add new lines, virtual numbers and toll free numbers to expand your personal phone system as needed.

• Equipment required
  
  Quite often a phone adaptor and handset is included in your subscription. Sometimes too you have the option to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) which means if you decide to switch providers later, you can re-use the equipment on another network. Review the different types of adaptors, wireless adaptors, cordless or USB handsets the provider offers.

• Travel-friendly
  
  One of the great advantages of internet phone service is that you can use it wherever there's a broadband internet connection. But how easy it is to use this way varies. VOIP internet phone software (softphone) is great for your laptop. And some phone adaptors, like PhoneGnome, are small and light—perfect for travel.
• Rates to countries not covered in the plan
  
  Do you call other countries that are not included in an unlimited long distance plan. Check the rates to those countries, like India, Pakistan, and Australia. Some plans have a limited number of included international minutes per month.
• Other charges
  
  Like regular phone companies VOIP providers have to pay state and federal taxes, fees and other charges that are passed along to you.
  
  Other charges to be aware of are shipping charges, network activation fees, directory assistance charges, overage charges (minutes beyond what’s specified in your plan). Some plans waive activation fees and shipping as a sign up incentive.
  
  The bottom line is, read the fine print (also known as the Terms and Conditions). This document is available on their web site and spells out all aspects of using the service, additional charges, and customer and company responsibilities. It's YOUR responsibility to read these, so do it. 

Quick Compare VOIP Plans

*Cancellation fee: within the first year. No fee after one year.
**BYOD: Bring your own device (like PC, Mac, phone adaptor, or handset). Ideal for the tech savvy customer.

Guide to VOIP Plans

Plans generally divide into residential plans, business plans, and international plans.

Residential Plans

Most VoIP service providers are marketing something called a residential plan. This usually means:

• Unlimited local and long distance calling within a specific geographic area such as within North America, the United Kingdom, or India.
• Limited calling within a specific geographic area but restricted to the number of minutes (200, 500 minutes)

Small Business Plans

Be careful that you don't use a residential plan for a business. Small business plans are designed to accommodate more phone minutes per month and include business services such as fax numbers, extra virtual numbers, toll free numbers, free international minutes and 3-digit extension to extension dialing.

Normally, to get these features you'd have to invest in an in-office PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or rent these services from their local telephone company.

International Plans

Some providers, like Packet8, offer a specifically tailored plan if you make frequent overseas calls.

For example, if you make a lot of overseas calls, an international package includes these calls in the basic monthly fee.

If you receive most of your calls from a certain city, you can find a service provider that offers a local phone number in that location. which allows people to call you at local rates.

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