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VoIP vs. Regular phone service

Considering the switch from a traditional landline telephone to VoIP telephone? Jacob from the Start.ca service does a quick comparison of the two.

This video features captions and descriptive transcript.


The difference between VoIP and a landline phone

A quick overview of these can help you decide which is the best fit.

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It uses your internet service to work, instead of traditional phone lines. Here’s some of the key things to know:

  • Uses the telephone you already have
  • Needs a voice adaptor to work
  • You can call any phone number
  • The person you are calling doesn’t need to be a VoIP customer
  • You may be able to keep your existing phone number
  • There won’t be any phone service if your internet connection or electricity is interrupted

Travelling with VoIP

You can travel within Canada with your voice adapter and use it anywhere you have a wired internet connection. If you do this, there’s some very important things to do:

Packages and pricing

VoIP can be much less expensive than a landline. Our service includes popular features (at no extra cost):

  • Voicemail with email notification
  • Call waiting
  • Call forwarding
  • Caller ID
  • 3-way calling

Call quality

VoIP call quality is generally very good, but keep in mind: it depends on your internet connection. That can potentially affect the quality of your calls, but this is something our Service Desk can investigate with you.

Some final things to note

VoIP is a great phone service, but there are some things it doesn’t support:

  • Emergency/hospital use
  • Fax
  • Apartment door buzzers
  • Business use

Keep these in mind when choosing a phone service. As always, contact us (1-866-434-5888) if you have any questions.

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