[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Jubal Harshaw]

For a cheap trial of VOIP, you could try signing up for Yahoo voice chat (no I DO NOT own Yahoo, nor am I a salesman). You can then get a Yahoo phone account that will allow you to call any landline phone for 2cents / minute (2.9 cents for 800 numbers). The "Yahoo" calls are VOIP, and are provided by net2phone. If you go through Yahoo, rather than directly through net2phone, the minimum amount is only $10.00. Worth at least a try, so you can see what the sound quality / delay is likely to be like.

[suzyq5558]

i have DSL through my phone co. have had it for several yrs. i like it just fine. its way better than 56k dialup thats for sure,we are online 24/7 andthe cost is no different for us as when we two phone lines.