Technology Question

[stegerman]

My family is likely going to drop or landline and go for a VOIP service.

Recommendations requested - good companies/bad companies? We don't make international calls. Currently spending $30 per month for landline. Want to see a savings.


**added***

What prevents me (I have unlimited web service on cell phone) from downloading a VOIP softphone app onto my phone and using VOIP from my phone.

[Aske]

no idea.  we do a lot of international calling and NO  voip (or cell) providers come close to matching the rates we get on the landline  plan.   it's still WAY cheaper to keep the base landline plan and the supplement  ld plan.


sorry.
 

[Seamus]

The only negative I've heard is something bad about making 911 calls, something about re-routing them, that was a year ago tough, haven't looked into it since.

[hobbit]

A softphone on your windowsmobile device may work - but you still have to pay the monthly fee to the provider for the number and services (voicemail, etc.).

911 has been solved for the most part.  Routing of the calls is required by law to be correct.  There are still some potential issues with not having the address pop up automatically, but thats not the fault of the VoIP provider.  So, you may still have to give an address - but there are no more issues with dialing 911 in Chicago and talking to Poughkeepsie.

Vonage is being attacked by the incumbent/monopoly/*bunghole* carriers.  You may want to stay clear.  That does not mean other providers aren't next - its just that Vonage is the public face of VoIP right now, so they went after them first.

I have used both Lingo and Broadvoice without issue.  I prefer Broadvoice for the flexibility of service and such (I can run my own Asterisk server, etc.).  Wired also rated them the best a while back.



BTW Aske - Broadvoice unlimited international includes Greece 

[gleek]

no idea.  we do a lot of international calling and NO  voip (or cell) providers come close to matching the rates we get on the landline  plan.   it's still WAY cheaper to keep the base landline plan and the supplement  ld plan.


sorry.
 

Use Skype. 

[stegerman]

A softphone on your windowsmobile device may work - but you still have to pay the monthly fee to the provider for the number and services (voicemail, etc.).

911 has been solved for the most part.  Routing of the calls is required by law to be correct.  There are still some potential issues with not having the address pop up automatically, but thats not the fault of the VoIP provider.  So, you may still have to give an address - but there are no more issues with dialing 911 in Chicago and talking to Poughkeepsie.

Vonage is being attacked by the incumbent/monopoly/*bunghole* carriers.  You may want to stay clear.  That does not mean other providers aren't next - its just that Vonage is the public face of VoIP right now, so they went after them first.

I have used both Lingo and Broadvoice without issue.  I prefer Broadvoice for the flexibility of service and such (I can run my own Asterisk server, etc.).  Wired also rated them the best a while back.



BTW Aske - Broadvoice unlimited international includes Greece 

Thanks Rick. I knew I would still have to pay for their service, but it's a way to make a phone call without using my cell minutes. I'm always looking fro an angle.

[spacey]

Ditched land line/home phone years ago in favor of a cell phone for me and one for her. No complaints whatsoever unless I forget to charge mine, which happens more often than it should.

[Aske]

BTW Aske - Broadvoice unlimited international includes Greece 

thanks very much. it does to land lines. but we call mobiles  the most.  $.28 or $.30 a minute can't compete with  $.11