If you watch TV or listen to the radio, Vonage is king when it comes to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a fancy way of saying “making telephone calls over the Internet.” However, many different providers exist who can give you the same or better service if you choose to pull the plug on your local telephone company.

Personally, I like Packet8. I’ve been using their service for several months, choosing them over Vonage because Packet8—unlike Vonage—could transfer my existing phone number to their service. Local Number Portability is spotty; your mileage may vary with each service.

Actually, it may not even be necessary to pull the plug on your local phone provider; most are now providing some level of VoIP services. I chose not to go with Verizon in part because of their higher prices, but a recent price change now puts their VoiceWing service in a contending position.

You should bear in mind that VoiceWing may cost you less if you are a Verizon DSL customer; your Verizon DSL may cost you $5 a month more if you don’t have Verizon telephone service on your DSL line.