Phone Service Delivery Platforms: Understanding What Your Options Are For Phone Systems

Currently, there are five service delivery types for phones and phone systems. The most common one is the one you hold in your hand and carry around every day--the cell phone or mobile phone. It operates off of signals sent through the air from tower to tower. The four other platforms are often offered by cell phone and/or internet service providers. Knowing what your options are and what each type provides gives you a better idea about which one works for you.

VOiP, or Voice Over Internet Protocols

This "phone" service is directly linked to your internet. It is often offered by a company not related to or affiliated with your internet service provider. When you create an account with a separate VOiP service, you are then able to dial toll-free numbers through the service to speak to other companies. You may also video phone any company or individual who also has an account with the same service. In most cases, you do not pay for the service unless you wish to dial a private number and/or speak through your computer to the other party's phone.

Phone Service via Cable TV Connections

Companies that provide cable TV service and phone service do so via a coaxial cable. Your phone is connected to the cable TV box, and your service is digitally delivered through the coaxial cable. Although you can get a clearer, sharper call and voice connection via this method, you can lose your phone service if your cable TV is down or the TV receiver is having problems. The exception to this rule is fiber optic cable.

Phone Service via Fiber Optic

The fastest, most efficient service is delivered via fiber optic internet service. The fiber optic bundles transmit data and signals over several miles within seconds, and you never have to worry about your phone systems or internet failing you during a power outage because fiber optic delivery does not rely on electricity. Calls are never dropped, never have interference because of a storm, and rarely require any on-site repairs.

POTS Still Exists, But It Is Rarely Installed and Used

With all of these high-tech options, you may wonder what happened to regular old phone systems. This basic phone service that relies on a jack in the wall and plugging a phone into an electrical socket is now referred to as POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service. Although some of the much larger telephone companies still offer it, it is very unusual to request it and even more unusual to rely on it as your main phone line. Anyone who is old enough to remember pre-cell phone telephones is old enough to remember how unreliable they were, and most phone and internet service providers will discourage you from installing such an antiquated system.

To learn more, contact a phone systems company like Communications Plus. 

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