Tuesday, November 08, 2005

VoIP

So I've been using Skype for a while, and it's nice, but kind of limiting. I'm thinking of replacing my landline with VoIP, since even with the cheapest plan available for local and long distance, I still get charged a minimum of $45 a month just for all the taxes and fees - even if I don't make any long-distance calls. VoIP would solve that, but I don't know anyone else who's gone that route.

I know the downsides; if your broadband connection goes down, you have no phone connection either. So I would need to keep my cell phone constantly charged; no biggie - I do that anyway. I also know that some of the VoIP providers don't have local 911 centers for every area code, and the time it takes to patch you from the centralized call center to a local one could be critical. That one does concern me a bit.

I'm looking at either Vonage or AT&T CallVantage. Has anyone used either of these services? Have you ever used the 911 function, and if so, how satisfied were you with the response time?

3 comments:

Stan Rogers said...

Well, our friend Damien has had some interesting things to say about Vonage. I don't have any personal experience, though.

Esther said...

Wow, that's some vitriol there! Lots of info, though, which contradicts the many good reviews I've read in other places. I'll definitely be researching other providers.

Stan Rogers said...

Yes, it was a bit OTT, which is why I didn't simply quote it. I don't want to have your blog flagged as, um, suitable for mature audiences only.