We have been using VOIP (Vonage) for the last 9 months. The service has
been great and the cost savings is amazing. My family is all local, so we
have limited need for the unlimited long distance, but I am still saving
money. My cost for two lines is cheaper than SBC charged for one line.
I found out about it when I called a friend to see if he was in before I
dropped in to see him. He told me he was in Paris, France. He took his
modem device on a trip to Paris. Stayed at a hotel with broadband access
and his Houston, TX number rang in Houston. He was calling and receiving
calls just as if he was in Houston.
Problems I have seen:
1. Every once in a while the modem will need to be rebooted. I have had to
reboot it twice in the 9 months.
2. We have had two local numbers that we could not dial. Emailed tech
support and that was resolved in both cases in less than 2 hours. They were
old Vonage numbers that had not been transferred.
3. There are some devices/teleconference systems that have a hard time
recognizing the touch tones. If you have a tivo, security system, voice
mail system check and see if it works first.
4. My next door neighbor signed up for the service. His wife now talks to
her sister for 3 hours a day. Before they could only talk once a week due
to the cost. Now with unlimited calls, they are on the phone all day. Your
results may vary.
The great:
Find a current customer and have them give you a referral. You get a month
free and the referral gets a month free. Never heard the landline companies
giving free service. (Anyone who wants a referral can send me an email
offline and I will forward)
The virtual lines for receiving inbound calls from anywhere is amazing.
Go for it. Get a virtual number and try it for a couple of weeks. If it
does not work, stop it the service. If it does, then start the transfer
process (mine to 30 days).
Nothing to loose and a lot to save.
Jeff
Jeff@cocking.com
|