I somehow doubt that. VoIP is still obscure. The cell phone has much more to do with the demise of landline phones at home.
I have now switched over all telephone land lines to VoIP.
I get two separate numbers (my old ones) with totally unlimited local and long distance, eFax, VoiceMail, Anonymous Call Rejection, etc. for $19.95 per month total. Plus state tax of $1.20. That's it. I have Cable Broadband for $44.95 per month. I am saving around $200 per month just on telephones!
I hae a voip line and a land line. I'm not giving up my land line ..quality is spotty. With DSL it's awful when I'm trying to do more than one thing on the computer. Might be better with cable internet.
I just got Vonage for my home business phones, after getting tired of Comcast's high costs, and AT&T's lousy, noisy connection.
Voip is the way to go. Full digital with web reporting of incoming and outgoing calls, email notification and forwarding, the whole bit.
Careful of porting a number though. I takes forever, so be sure you're happy with the service before you commit.
Global wireless will do the same for VOIP
We had VoIP. Hubby is a network guy as a profession, and was gung ho. We also have cable hookup so figured, no problem. After trying it for months, we cancelled. IMHO, not ready for primetime yet.
Cheap, yes....quality and consistency....awful. Our provider would switch between a 10 digit phone number and a 7 digit number, even though they swore we'd have a 7 digit number (which is what is the norm in the area. )
Say you give your doctor your phone number, he's used to a 7 number digit, but he tries to call you back and can't get through on the 7 digit number...no way he's going to figure out to use a 10 digit.
That was just one problem. Whoosing noises, interference, etc. made it a disaster.
For the difference of 20 bucks a month we have a Verizon landline, with lots of features and unlimited minutes to Canada and USA, anytime of the day or night...after using Vonage, and being sorely disappointed, it's 20 bucks we don't mind spending.
I have voip myself.. AT & T Callvantage.. Awesome service..
What`s next? Cochlear implants? It`s getting pretty nutzo seeing all these creeple seemingly talking to themselves as they walk down the street. I was at a stoplight the other day and I almost gave this guy a buck when he walked by my car, until I saw the device. "By God, he is not an insane money grubber about to ask me for a quarter!!"
VOIP is the way to go. The whole telecommunications landscape is changing for the better. What I'd really like to see is dual use numbers where your cell number also doubles as a VOIP number. It makes a lot of sense. I can't wait till high speed nationwide wireless broadband is everywhere. Then I can toss my standard cell and use VOIP everywhere.
I was talking to a friend from India and he said VOIP is really popular overseas where there is broadband available. It is easy for a person in the states to activate a Vonage VOIP adapter and then send it to their relatives overseas with a local number in the states attached to it and then they can make calls from India anywhere in the US as if they are stateside.
I love the virtual world. The idea that one could be in a mudhut in the middle of Africa and have a US telephone number is just beautiful. lol
(course, we have to figure out how to filter Arab DNA..)
You useda pay $10-$15 a month for a land line that served the entire family. Now you're paying $150+ for cell phone toys for all members of the family. That's progress. For the cell phone companies, which succeeeded in creating an artificial need that didn't exist, and still doesn't as far this cat's concerned. The money's rolling in. Note the spacious, bright sales offices of cell phone companies in high rent districts. Note the full page ads in daily newspapers. Congratulations, you're paying for it, paying for the privilege of being able to report to your dear family members that you're in isle 5A of your local supermarket. I ain't!
Ditched my landline for cells about three years ago. Recently got a Skype number for $38 for the year. That's the number I'll give out to people I don't like.
Heck, at that price a few more numbers would be good for that too.
We live in a Capitalist society. Profit rules. Always has. Always will.
As for VOIP quality, it is crystal clear and essentially flawless if you have a decent internet connection and ISP that's worth a damn. Most long distance has been going over VOIP for many years now, they just run the converter in the CO instead of at your house.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
We dumped the land line in our new home. Seems as though we were running to answer either a sales pitch or a "come to revival meeting" message (deep South).
HELLO PHONE COMPANIES!!!!!!!!!!!! are you getting the message?????????? We do not miss you.
Our two cell phones have served us well - VOIP is next.