What Is VoIP Call Quality Like?

Q: Is there much hang time or delay between when the person starts to speak and when you hear them on a VoIP phone call?

Source: Brad Parbs via Flickr

A: Most problems with VoIP call quality, including lag, distortion, or delay are caused by insufficient internet or network speed. Assuming you have a fast enough connection (check this post for information about what kind of internet connection you need to use VoIP), you should not notice any delay or other sound problems during your conversation. Many consumers (click here to read about this consumer research in more detail) have found call quality to be roughly the same between traditional phone service and VoIP service. In our tests, we have particularly liked the call quality from 1-VoIP, Vonage, and VOIPo.

Since most of the companies we review have fairly long refund periods (often about 30 days), you can order VoIP service to try it out and return it for a full refund within the first 30 days. If you plan to use the refund period to test out a VoIP service, we recommend that you do not cancel your existing service or port over your phone number until you are sure you will keep the VoIP service, since it can be difficult to port the same number twice in quick succession, and you may lose any existing discounts or deals you had associated with your current phone service. If, after testing VoIP, you decide to keep it, you should have no trouble porting in your existing phone number and then canceling your traditional phone service. (Click here for more information and a few key tips on porting your phone number.)

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