Why You Need to Use This Book

Some broadband phone providers still struggle to market themselves well. Traditional mediasuch as newspapers, consumer magazines, and news web sitesdo a poor job of defining which broadband phone providers offer which type of service.

Did you know there are two completely different types of broadband phones? True. Choose one type to replace your existing traditional telephone line and all works great. Choose the other type as your telephone line replacement and you'll have a disaster for a telephone system.

Vonage replaces a phone just fine and does a great job marketing themselves (read all about them in Chapter 5). Cable companies do a good job soliciting their current cable TV clients. However, many excellent broadband phone companies display little marketing savvy but do offer great services and great pricing. I point out many of those companies and tell you how to compare the options you have to make the best choice for your situation.

Skype uses your computer for talking instead of a traditional-style phone, but leads the world in registered broadband phone users: 21 million and counting. They did this by offering free (as in absolutely no money required for their software or service) calls to all other Skype users in the world. Read all about them in Chapter 6.

Choosing between the Vonage-type service and the Skype-type service makes a huge difference in your telephone happiness. Yet most people will benefit from a combination of the two services. This book reveals how to make your broadband phone service(s) work they way you want them to work.