How Does Internet Phone Service Operate?

Landline phone systems are installed and maintained by a local telephone company. They use infrastructure telephone cables and central offices to route telephone calls from point to point in the landline telephone grid. The power to run a landline phone system is provided by the area central office. This means that your phone should continue to work even if you have a local power outage.

Internet phones are linked to the Internet through your computer. The modem that connects your computer to an Internet Service Provider provides an input jack for your household phones. You place calls by dialing the number of the party you're calling, including the area code. The ISP provides equipment that converts your voice into a digital signal. The digital signal is sent through the Internet to the final destination for the call. It's important to remember that an Internet phone system won't continue to function if you have a local power outage. Computer-based VoIP systems require a high-speed Internet connection. You can connect with cable, a local area network or a DSL.

A computer isn't required to use the Internet for phone service. VoIP providers are available that provide this service through a special phone adapter. Your phones are fed through the digital adapter to the VoIP service center, which connects the call to the Internet.

Hot spots are wireless connections to the Internet. They provide connections for browsing the Internet and access for Internet phones. They're open and available to all users and don't require passwords. You may find hot spots in hotels, airports and restaurants provided as a service to customers and travelers. To use your computer as an Internet phone on a hot spot you need VoIP software and a microphone to capture your voice. Microphones and speakers are common features in newer laptop computers.