Featured VoIP Providers that Offer Call Forwarding
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Call forwarding, also known as ‘call diverting,’ allows the user to divert incoming calls to one phone to be sent to another phone or phone number. This service can replace voice mail for a person who is in another location away from the main phone line; however, the forwarding also serves as a way to stay in touch when traveling or when away from that main line. Forwarded calls, for instance, can be directed to a mobile phone that travels with the person who is using the forwarding. In some cases, the calls are forwarded to a call center, where a customer or other caller will talk to a human being and leave a message rather than talk to an answering machine.

How it Works

Most phone companies now offer a program where calls are forwarded to any phone of the customer’s choice. In some programs, this service is called, “Follow Me,” or some similar phrase. Some services may offer international call forwarding by allocating for the customer a local virtual phone number which is forwarded to any other international destination. In all cases, the phone customer only needs to ask for the service. This service may be free, or the phone company may charge for forwarding calls.

Special types of call forwarding can be activated only if the main line is busy or if there is no answer, or for specific phone numbers. The North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which is an integrated telephone numbering plan of 24 countries and territories: the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 Caribbean nations, generally uses a vertical plan to control call forwarding. This plan is activated and deactivated using various programmable features which the phone company or the customer may activate. In Europe, the general syntax for all European service codes follows a pattern CEPT (European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) standards developed in the 1970s on both POTS and ISDN lines. This pattern of activation, deactivation and reestablishment of call forwarding services is universal across the European Union (EU). GSM/3GSM (UMTS) phones, however, carry different standards. In all cases, the phone company will advise on how to program a phone, if necessary, to carry out the call forwarding service.

What You Need

To activate a call forwarding service, you would need a phone, mobile or otherwise, and a telephone company that offers call forwarding in its service plan. In most cases, phone companies carry this service as part of a package that might include other services such as call waiting and caller ID. In each case, the phone company will have instructions on how to activate, deactivate and reestablish call forwarding services.

Types Offered

As mentioned previously, call forwarding can be activated with several choices: all calls forwarded to another phone or phone number; calls forwarded when the main line is busy or if unanswered; calls incoming from select callers and more. The choices will depend upon what your phone company has to offer.

Featured VoIP Providers that Offer Call Forwarding

Featured VoIP Providers

All VoIP Providers that Offer Call Forwarding