Re: Why is VOIP Getting Hot Now?

snipped-for-privacy@hallika>>> In my case it was $88 a month to Verizon vs. $27 a month to
>>> Vonage. Big difference. It's the only thing that hasn't inflated in >>> the last year or two. >> Of course, Vonage does not have to pay for the local loop, so there's >> some savings there. How much are you paying for "last mile" >> connectivity (cable modem or DSL or whatever)? I'm currently paying >> Verizon about $25 per month for local dialtone. I'm paying about $3 >> per month in long distance to another company (about 5 cents per >> minute, probably much of that is compensation to the terminating >> carrier). I'm paying $70 per month to cyberonic.com for DSL (6Mbps per >> second AND they let me run my own servers). I pay $0 per month to >>
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. I also pay about 1 or 2 cents a minute to >> them for calls into the PSTN. SIP calls (within siphone, to FWD, >> Google, etc.) are free. I use
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to get a POTS >> number on SIP for free (though the number is in Washington). >> There certainly are LOTS of options. >> Harold > I'm annoyed with Vonage because they lock down the SIP box so it can > only receive calls from Vonage. There's no real reason for Vonage even > to be in the loop for an IP to IP call, but I guess they know that. > However, I think they're the only company where I can keep my local > number, so I do.

I went with Packet8 so I could get a local number. I call forward my Verizon phone to my VOIP number and then ring both the VOIP and my cell phone.

Features and price sold me. We just had a small argument with Verizon because Circular hunt is not an option in Ohio. Name and number CID delivery is not an option on Centranet, and the 1x2 grid is really a P Poor implementation of a switching system in the first place.

So you get a line for $25 a month, plus $7 for CID, plus the $8.19 "poor and downtrodden" fee and you get a 1:2 ratio of lines, or you get a VOIP line for about $44 and get unlimited Long Distance, or if you're a residence, about $24 for the same thing.

Pretty easy choice for 1-3 lines.

Carl Navarro

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: How this one for a good CHEAT from Southwestern Bell? Although I have UNE-P from Prairie Stream Communications, Prairie Steam by and large has to do whatever SBC allows/requires. We _had_ been getting call forwarding at no charge via Prairie Stream (part of the deal was 'select any three features at no additional charge' in addition to the 100 minutes of free long distance time). Because I have 'forward on busy/no answer' Prairie Stream was charging $2.00 for each of those per month but _nothing_ for 'regular' call forwarding since it was part of the 'free package'.

SBC now demands that _everyone_ using call forwarding at all pay $5.00 per month for it, including UNE-P customers. So as of last month, my bill to Prairie Stream went up $5 per month, compliments of SBC, _even though I do not use it_. I do not need, nor want 'regular' call forwarding, just forwarding on those occassions when I leave my house and forget to turn it on, thus 'forwarding on no answer' or possibly forwarding on busy. SBC keeps telling Prairie Stream 'you must have regular call forwarding in order to get forwarding on busy or no answer -- no way around it -- so now they get an extra $5.00 per month from me. Of course I am still required to pay the $2.00 per month each for cf/busy and cf/no answer as well. PAT]