The difference between VoIP and a landline phone
Here are the differences between Start.ca’s VoIP telephone service and traditional phone service. 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 about VoIP right off the bat:
- 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:
- You must log in to our customer portal and update you 911 address to where the adaptor is now installed so emergency responders can find you
- Visit https://www.start.ca/services/phone/911 for more information
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 about VoIP
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.
