14 March 2006
Consumers should not necessarily regard internet telephone services as a replacement to their landline, according to independent comparison website uSwitch.com.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are sometimes regarded as the future of telephone communication as calls can be made more cheaply, but the company says that there are a number of reasons why consumers should hang on to a landline.
Landline operators are beginning to adapt to the competition by including free calls in return for a fixed monthly tariff and the number of packages available has increased.
The fact that VoIP services require a broadband connection means that they are not be available to customers without high-speed internet connection.
The availability and quality of the service is also affected by internet traffic levels which are unpredictable, the company said.
Chris Williams, home telephone product manager at uSwitch.com, said: "Less than one in two households in the UK are connected to broadband, and the number of people currently using VoIP is relatively small.
"At the moment, the only area where VoIP delivers significant savings for customers is where they are calling other VoIP users on the same service, as the calls are free. However, this will not apply to the majority of people, who will be better off focusing on picking the right phone package."
He added: "For the time being, the area where VoIP can really make an impact on call costs is when it is used in unison with a landline and not instead of it."
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