(Vanity) Broadband internet connection "telephone", is it worth it?

26Sep03

[yankeedame]

Fed up with these &^%$#& phone bills*. This last one took the cake.

So, I have begun looking at BB internet connection "telephone service", spec. Vonage. But this is strickly terra incognita to your's truly. Any thoughts, advise, warning, hints, whatevers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, -YD

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*Nearly $56! W/ zero long distance calls, very,very basic services (we do just about everything via computer). It used to run over $70, but called phone company and with their help shaved it down $10 or so. Big woop! :op

[martin_fierro]

This guy likes Vonage

[Naspino]

I have been thinking about it too -- down here though I can get TWO lines with basic services (Call Waiting etc) for $35 a month. I've had broadband internet with them for 3 or 4 years now though and sometimes I can go a month without any service so thats all thats holding me back.

[July 4th]

I think it's a great idea. But there are two things to consider:

1) It's cheap now, but may not be for very long. The phone companies are pissed, and want Vonage to fall under the same regulations as they have to.

2) If you lose your internet, you lose your phone. Say what you will about local phone service, but for nearly everyone, when you pick up the phone there's always a dial tone.

[martin_fierro]

Another VOIP thread

[So Cal Rocket]

Just don't ever think of calling your Broadband host when the internet connection goes down... since your phone won't work either.

[BeerSwillr]

It would be foolish to go with Vonage service. They can't offer 911 services yet. The service they do offer has no guarantees. Vonage does not have deals in place with any telco. Vonage voice service rides your ISP or broadband carriers network at their whim. If the service provider decides to shut off service to the network protocols Vonage uses they can do so without notification. Then you are left without voice services. All in all it is a big headache.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You can get a phone card at Sam's Club for 3.3 cents per minute that works from any phone. No gimmicks, no monthly fees, no connection charges. Simply 3.3 cents for every minute you talk.

Why would you do anything else?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I was wrong. It is 3.47 cents per minute.

[MediaMole]

What do you do about local service? Cheap phone cards work for Long distance, but if you don't have local service you have to find a pay phone.

[tommyboy]

I use zerocents.com. Flat $29.99/mo. No bill, credit card charge each month. Stipulations; can't use for internet or fax traffic. Unlimited local/long distance. First month FREE. Only good from one residential phone # (no PIN needed). Each call requires dialing an access number, then 1-area code-number (across the street, across the country). Lines sometimes a little scratchy but worth the savings. I will save roughly $1400/yr.

Best of all, no FET, FUT, gore tax. I've had them since 01/03 with NO problems.

[Quigley]

Or if you live where Bellsouth is the phone company you can get your phone service, caller ID, and unlimited long distance anywhere, anytime in the whole lower 48 for $59.00 a month. Our bill used to be at least a hundred a month when we paid for each individual long distance call. We like it and think it is a good deal.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

A landline is cheaper than a cell phone.

And that is all I have to say about that.

[MediaMole]

This thread is about replacing a land line with an internet-based phone service.

[KellyAdmirer]

These days, if you do it right, you can get almost as cheap a deal with a land line, even with a lot of long distance calls - and you will be able to phone your ISP when your connection drops, too (which happens to me with some regularity). Never liked the sound quality on those things, either.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This thread is about replacing a land line with an internet-based phone service.

Why would you do that if it is more expensive and less reliable?

Which it is, unless you spend every waking minute on the telephone.

[BeerSwillr]

Yep. I have SBC All Distance plus DSL service. My monthly bill comes in at just under $100. An it's very reliable.

[misterrob]

Internet is still a best effort, packet based system with no priority given for one form of traffic over another right now. The service has improved but the quality of connection and reliability do not match that of the Public Switched Telephone Network which offers a fixed circuit and none of the problems of jittery calls or delays that internet telephony does.

Ma Bell knows voice and while some people are willing to sacrifice quality for $15 a month I don't believe that crappy sound quality is worth it.

[KEVLAR]

I had a broadband phone for a while, it ended up costing more than my landline. When I cancelled the service I had to go three weeks without a phone as the cable company would not release my phone number for the telco to hook me back up.