VOIP is a wonderful alternate method of telephone communications for a lot of people. I have had Vonage since its inception. However, I also maintain one LEC line as well.
Telecommunications is a complex marketplace, with all of its choices. Smart consumers almost always fare better than those who cannot, or will not, figure things out by doing some homework.
Vonage, for example, doesn't have the best customer service around, but neither do most of the LECs these days. And, unlike the LECs, Vonage has a web site that provides all the options in a clear, quite useful manner. A potential subscriber can see in advance all the NPA and office codes available. If the potential subscriber cannot figure out whether any of those are local calls for his physical area, he isn't very able.