Technological advances have made it possible for cable, telephone, Internet providers and other companies to expand the range of telecommunications services they can offer consumers. Cable and satellite TV companies now offer high-speed Internet service, competing with broadband services offered by telephone companies. Phone companies are also expanding beyond their traditional services. They are aggressively marketing video programming and Internet services that compete with cable and satellite television. And new companies are competing with traditional phone companies by offering telephone service using VoIP (voice over Internet protocol). VoIP phone service can be provided at very low cost because it transmits calls over the Internet, virtually for free.
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