The Brogue Hog

Living in Hawaii had always been a dream of mine, and it finally came true this year. I got the word in January that I would be transferred to my company’s Honolulu office for two years, starting in April, so I needed to move quickly.

At first, I was so caught up in the excitement that it didn’t dawn on me how hard it might be to adjust. All I knew was I would be relying on calling long distance more than ever. But I guess that’s a small price to pay for living in a Pacific paradise!

When I first arrived, I set up an Internet connection immediately, but I didn’t know where to start with finding the right plan for calling long distance. I thought it might just be easier to use my cell phone, rather than setting up home telephone service local calling plans, etc.

It’s a good thing I didn’t call Verizon Hawaii right away, because I later learned about a much better way to stay in touch with family. It’s called Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, and it is a relatively new phone service that provides the option of using your computer to place voice phone calls. That sounded a little too “space-age” for me at first, but then I learned that it is becoming more widespread, especially in areas like Hawaii.

One of the advantages of switching over to VoIP is that you can always keep the same phone number. But even more importantly is how much cheaper it is here in Hawaii, compared to other long distance plans. The only parameter is that the person you are calling must also have an Internet connection.

Once I learned more about VoIP, I decided it was a no-brainer and canceled plans to install wired telephone service local calling. Now I speak with family and friends back home using VoIP long distance, and I make most of my local calls on my cell phone. All I can say is, “Aloha, Hawaii!”