| It should come as no surprise that with our reliance | | | | and if phone calling is a part of your schedule, this |
| on the personal computer, high-speed Internet and | | | | would be a way to consolidate those activities and |
| cable TV, that eventually telephone services would | | | | save some money. In other words, you can still do |
| take advantage of the same technology. And, of | | | | your job online, and handle business phone calls as |
| course, this is exactly what's happened over the last | | | | they occur. |
| 10 years or so. The major cable companies and also | | | | Internet phones lines also take advantage in the |
| independent Internet phone companies are now | | | | advent of packet switching technology. In the old |
| providing Internet phone line services that can cut | | | | days, a single phone conversation would go out over |
| your costs while providing you with all the same | | | | a copper wire. It utilized what we call circuit switching |
| features and benefits as a traditional landline. | | | | -- not very efficient because it wasted a lot of |
| By bundling an Internet phone line with your cable | | | | capacity. Nowadays, high-speed fiber optic cable has |
| and your Internet service, you also have other | | | | replaced copper phone lines, and many phone calls |
| benefits. For example, you don't need to buy new | | | | can be carried on the same wire through the advent |
| equipment. Your standard telephone can be | | | | of packet switching technologies. |
| connected to the same Internet connection at your | | | | In fact, many kinds data communications can occur |
| PC is connected to. Once you've made the initial | | | | along with the voice conversations. Cable TV signals, |
| installation, you probably won't notice any difference | | | | Internet browsing, e-mail, phone calls, all can be |
| in how you use your phone from day to day. | | | | handled over the abundant capacity that we have |
| Internet phone lines are also better suited to the | | | | now. It's simply more efficient, more cost effective, |
| modern work- and life-style. If you are like a lot of | | | | than the older technology -- and the cost savings |
| people, you are accustomed to working at PC for | | | | that can be passed on to the consumer. |
| long stretches of time. Internet phone lines make it | | | | Ultimately, all phone calls will be made using Internet |
| possible to use a headset and a software program | | | | technology. It's a more efficient way to use of the |
| that allows you to use your computer to make your | | | | communications infrastructure that we already have |
| phone calls. So if you are at your keyboard all day | | | | in such abundance. |