I live in McAllen, Texas, USA. Vonage and Lingo cannot yet offer a local toll free number, so it was important that my SBC number be ported. Packet8 could not only port my SBC number, but they offered a local temparary number that could be called from the McAllen area toll free. I ruled out RoadRunner (Time Warner Cable) by price alone ($39.95/month).
I signed up with Packet8 on March 7, 2005 at $19.95/month. I faxed my application to have my SBC number ported to my Packet8 account on March
8, 2005. I received my Packet8 device, hooked it up, and activated it on March 17, 2005. My old SBC phone number was ported on April 8, 2005. The transfer was almost seamless (a phone call to Packet8) when my SBC service was terminated.So far, everything seems to be working as advertised. Call forwarding, Call waiting, Caller ID, Voicemail, Etc. Also, my use history is available on the Packet8 site and is impacted within 10 seconds of my hanging up the phone.
Quality of the voice is as good as my experience with SBC. I wear hearing aids and voice quality is important.
So far, so good. Time will tell.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Have you yet started receiving the 'we miss you and want you back' letters and promotions from SBC? They'll start out sort of modest at first (a few free services for a couple months; then one or two offers of a $50 VISA gift card and the freebies), then some perfectly outrageous offers for DSL at a very reduced price, etc ... They may place you with a collection agency claiming you left them still owing 20-25 dollars at some point; they have a bunch of tricks designed to get you back. PAT]