What is VoIP Fax? (Fax over IP)

VoIP faxing is the process of sending and receiving faxes over the Internet using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. It allows you to send faxes from their computers, smartphones, or email accounts without needing dedicated fax machines or phone lines. It's a cost-effective, efficient, and modern solution that makes faxing easier while helping businesses reduce equipment costs and streamline communication.

VoIP fax works by converting a fax document into a digital format that can be transmitted over the Internet. When you send a fax using VoIP, your fax software or service first scans and converts the document into digital data. This digital data is then sent over the Internet to the recipient’s VoIP system, where it is reassembled into a readable fax.

VoIP faxing saves your costs as it does not require dedicated phone lines and special hardware, unlike traditional faxing. Moreover, it’s also convenient to use.

One of VoIP faxing’s biggest advantages is cost savings. Traditional faxing requires separate hardware like fax machines, which can be expensive to maintain. On the other hand, VoIP faxing uses the Internet to send and receive faxes, eliminating the need for separate phone lines and expensive equipment.

VoIP faxing allows you to send and receive faxes from almost anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. You can access your faxes from your laptop, smartphone, or tablet, no matter where you are. It is an excellent option for remote workers or businesses operating from multiple locations.

The fax over VoIP delivers incoming faxes directly to the user’s email inbox as digital files. The receiver can immediately access documents without needing a physical machine. It’s quick and more efficient than traditional faxing.

You can not fax over VoIP if there’s no proper internet connection. Also, its subscription cost is typically higher, ranging from $9 to $35 per month.

One of VoIP faxing's main drawbacks is its reliance on a stable internet connection. If your internet connection goes down, you may not be able to send or receive faxes until the connection is restored.

VoIP faxing can also be affected by bandwidth limitations. If your internet connection has low bandwidth or is experiencing high traffic, your fax transmissions might fail or take longer to send, unlike traditional faxes, which are transmitted over phone lines that typically don’t experience this issue.

Some of the popular VoIP faxing services include Fax.Plus, Nextiva, Ooma, and RingCentral. Below is the explanation.

Fax.Plus is a digital fax solution that allows you to send and receive faxes online from various platforms such as mobile, web, email, and Google Workspace. It is trusted by 4,000,000 customers worldwide. It offers features such as secure faxing, email-to-fax, mobile app support, cloud storage integration, fax scheduling, and multiple fax numbers.
 

Nextiva's VoIP faxing services, known as vFAX, provide a modern and flexible approach to fax communications. The service supports various file types, including PDFs and images, and allows for sending faxes to multiple recipients simultaneously. Additionally, Nextiva’s faxing service is known for its secure transmission and storage of faxes.

Ooma’s business phone system also allows you to send virtual faxes using the internet on devices like smartphones and laptops. You can send the faxes through an existing email account by simply attaching a document. Moreover, it is easy to set up and can be integrated into the overall communication platform provided by Ooma.
 

RingCentral allows sending and receiving faxes over its AI communication solution platform. Users can send faxes via email or directly through the application. Moreover, it also includes features such as scheduling and the possibility of tracking the fax status. The service is available for businesses of all sizes.

To choose the right FOIP solution for your business, you must consider certain factors such as price structure, available features, security measures, and service reliability.

Pricing: Most providers offer competitive rates, with many charging on a per-page basis. Some also provide the service through monthly subscriptions. You can choose the one that fits your business or individual requirements.

Features: Another factor to consider is features that can enhance your faxing experience. Check out for features like fax to email, custom templates, status notifications, and integration with other features.

Security: Select the provider with encryption, a secure network, and compliance features for secured VoIP faxing.

Reliability: Also, check the reliability of the VoIP fax platform like they should ensure that faxes are delivered promptly without errors or delay. 

VoIP faxing (Fax over IP) uses internet-based technology to send faxes. As such, it saves costs by eliminating the need for expensive equipment and dedicated phone lines. However, it has some drawbacks, too. It may not work well if you’ve got a slight issue with your internet network. So, make sure that you have a robust internet connection before implementing Fax VoIP solution for your business.

Fax VoIP is generally secure with a provider that has robust encryption features and secure network protocols.

Yes, VoIP faxing allows you to send and receive faxes using an internet connection. You can use devices like smartphones, computers, or email without needing a traditional landline.

Traditional faxing relies on phone lines and physical fax machines, while VoIP faxing transmits documents digitally over the Internet. Also, VoIP faxing is more cost-effective than traditional one.

Faxing over VoIP is typically easy. However, at times, an unstable internet connection can make it challenging.