Using Technology In New Ways

Once upon a time, "Ma Bell" hooked you up with a telephone. Landline was the only service available, with no frills, and every line was a "party line" because phone companies did not have the technology to connect individual parties to individual parties. The cabling was not in the ground at first; it was always strung between poles for miles. Now, people can have their own phone lines, and they can select from one of four delivery service systems. Which of the following telephone services is right for your needs?

POTS

Plain old telephone service, or POTS for short, is the traditional delivery service. Your phone is connected to several telephone cables strung from pole to pole above ground. In this modern age, however, your POTS may be buried in the ground, too. Either way, it is a basic landline service.

DSL

DSL phone service means that your phone service is delivered over the same lines as your internet and your cable TV. It is more reliable than POTS, but not as fast as other delivery service systems. If you bundle your services, do not have very fast internet, and/or your cable TV relies on a coaxial cable or internet cable and modem, then you probably have DSL service.

VoIP

Voice over internet protocol, or VoIP, allows you to make phone calls using just your desktop or laptop and a downloaded application, such as Skype. You need no physical landline phone to place calls. All calls are placed through the application using only your internet connection. You will need a high-speed internet connection in order to make calls, but what you pay extra every month for a higher speed on your internet comes out to what you would pay for internet plus phone service anyway.

FiOS

The FiOS system delivers thousands of signals and phone transmissions over bundles of tiny fiber-optic threads. It is the fastest phone delivery service system you can get. It is also one of the most difficult systems to get because not many of these cabled fiber-optic threads have been installed in many places.

Still, if this option interests you, you can call the companies that offer it, ask if it is available where you live, and then request to be placed on the wait-list to receive this service. When the companies offering it have expanded into your neighborhood, they will contact you. In the event that it already exists in your neighborhood, you can purchase it right away.