With the advances in telecommunications technology, the landscape for cheap landline calls continues to change favorably. The onset of VoIP service, or internet telephony as it is frequently referred to, continues advancing at a rampant pace. This is especially true where to either PC-to-PC or PC-to-landline calls are concerned, as well as the long-distance and international applications are considered. It is no small wonder that this technology has had a major impact on the way in which people communicate with one another over a distance.

The advent of cheap landline calls has led to long-distance and international calling that is not only different where sound and voice quality are concerned, but also where the costs of making the calls has been the key issue. Most local calls are free, and the long distance or international calls have seen reductions in costs of up to 90% in some cases. There are also a few VoIP services on the market that are offering free long distance, but it is still a rare luxury with internet phone calls.

Voice quality still seems to be a major issue with cheap landline calls, however it appears that this is often over shadowed by the savings in dollars and cents that is incurred when comparing this new concept of communicating with each other to the traditional phone service methods. Long distance methods are widely categorized into four groups:

1. landline to landline and cellular phone service
2. cellular to cellular and landline service
3. calls made from a PC or VOIP device to either landline or cellular phone service
4. PC to PC voice communication

Characteristically speaking, cheap landline calls are not equated with the major standard phone service providers, but the advent of IP telephony makes this possible where either VoIP hardware (VoIP phones) or software applications are implemented and then connected to the modem and/or router with a high-speed broadband connection. Calls made by virtue of using a PC or VoIP phone to either a landline or a cellular phone use VoIP service to enable long distance voice communications.

The internet becomes the vehicle that enables cheap landline calls using a VoIP phone although there are still some lag times involved with this communication method. The technology is continually improving, and most VoIP service providers will tell you that it’s only a matter of time before the inadequacies experienced in voice quality become a thing of the past.

Cheap landline calls in a PC-to-PC format is usually free of charge when it connects two VoIP callers, but the sound and voice quality again are often suspect. Unlike the use of a true VoIP phone, all that is required with PC-to-PC communication are headsets, or separate speakers and a microphone.

One of the drawbacks with SIP-to-Sip calling is that even though you are enabled the use of your landline to make these calls using a VoIP (or hardware) phone, the person that you want to talk to has to have the same type of hardware phone to enable the conversation. The use of your landline phone with VoIP service is accomplished by plugging your standard telephone into what is called an ATA — analog telephony adapter. And of course, these are free calls when two people use the same hardware.

Surprisingly, even though a VoIP phone operates differently from a standard phone, a hardware phone resembles your home telephone in many ways. However, if you want to take advantage of cheap landline calls, you’ll need to plug your phone into the ATA. The VoIP phone normally comes packaged in a ready to use state and all that is required is plugging them into the internet. But if you would rather not invest in the VoIP phone, then your best bet is to buy an ATA and plug your landline phone into that.