10 Different Internet Phone Companies

Competition for your phone dollar is fierce, and there are any number of companies that covet that money. Services, prices and performance vary wildly, from company-to-company and from area-to-area. There are even great differences within companies, so that a phone company you may have liked in Houston, Texas, may not suit your needs if you move to Walla Walla, Washington. Here are some U.S. companies in the fray today.

1. Verizon – One of the “big boys” in the wireless field, Verizon, along with AT&T, has alternated between the #1 and #2 spot, as far as number of subscribers, now approaching 100 million. Worldwide, Verizon and AT&T barely crack the Top 20. China Mobile, the world leader, has some 600 million subscribers, while the U.K.’s Vodaphone claims more than 340 million.
2. AT&T – Currently, AT&T holds down the top spot, with a few million more subscribers than Verizon. Quality of service fluctuates, as well as prices, so it pays to occasionally compare. The big companies tout wider coverage, and greater “customer-to-customer” savings on plan packages.
3. Sprint – Sprint is an example of the next tier of U.S. Phone companies, with about half as many subscribers as Verizon or AT&T. Sprint is the main wireless brand of the Sprint Nextel Corporation. Sprint, and it’s affiliates differ from other carriers in that the entire network was constructed for Sprint, which streamlines national service.
4. Comcast – Comcast started out, in the early 1960s, as a cable television company, and, since, has branched into other media, including telephone.
5. Ooma – Ooma is a different style of phone company, whereby customers purchase or lease a device that allows them to get unlimited free telephone service.
6. Skype – Skype is a software application, put out under the vast Microsoft umbrella, which allows users to not only make phone calls, but also enables video calls and access to Internet chat lines. Skype is popular with travelers, who can communicate real-time utilizing a variety of media.
7. MajicJack – MajicJack is a device that can be used in the United States and Canada; it contains a standard phone-jack, and connects to a USB port, allowing users to make phone calls via the Internet connection. MajicJack is an example of “voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology.
8. Lingo – Another VoIP product, Lingo offers international and domestic phone service without tying up your computer. You can still surf and stream to your heart’s content without phone interruption.
9. Phone-Power – Available in the U.S. And Canada, and using VoIP technology, Phone-Power tenders services ranging from enhanced 911 calling to fax capabilities.
10. Vonage – Another entry in the VoIP sweepstakes, Vonage users make use of an adapter to get phone service through the internet connection, all without interrupting any internet functions already in use.

Though prices have gone up since the soup-can and string days, amazing strides have been made in the world of communication; there should be something for everybody, and people definitely need to do some comparison shopping before settling on any service

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 at 11:20 am and is filed under phone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.