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Re: [OM] Changing the question: was: Any suggestions for a VOIP provider

Subject: Re: [OM] Changing the question: was: Any suggestions for a VOIP provider?
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 08:13:09 -0500
As usual, this thread has veered well off course relative to my original question. I already have "carrier provided VOIP". I've been using carrier provided VOIP from Comcast, Time Warner or Brighthouse for at least 15 years, maybe even 20. Landlines and carrier provided VOIP are my preferred method of service due to high quality audio, numerous calling features and multiple wireless extension phones throughout the house.

I now have VOIP in the new house provided by the local cable/internet provider HTC. But the service is provided under contract to my homeowners association. I can add features but can't change the supplier. Nor would I want to given that I'm paying for the service in my monthly dues whether I use it or not. Changing to Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or any other landline supplier is simply not in the cards. I just want to get rid of the silly 10 cents/minute long distance charges when we have an hour long conversation with family members.

Unlike many folks, my wife and I do not much care for our cell phones. We carry them primarily for communication when we're traveling. We do not use or need text or data services. The phones are not attached to our hips and we do not advertise the numbers except to close friends and family for use when we're on the road. In fact, the cell phones have become something of a cost liability. Since they still carry a New York area code, using the new VOIP service incurs long distance charges if my wife calls me at the supermarket 2 miles away to remind me to pick up some additional item. That will have to change soon.

My take from all of this is to invest in one of Ken's "buggy whips" to go along with the type of service I have which is why those particular "buggy whips" were invented.

Chuck Norcutt


On 12/3/2014 10:39 PM, Moose wrote:
On 12/3/2014 9:13 AM, Ken Norton wrote:
Changing the question.  How about a simple long distance provider as
I used
to have many years ago?  One where you dial the service number and
then the
number you're calling.
Buggy whips.

Saved me the trouble, and more to the point.

They still exist, but barely. Many of us have free long-distance as
part of our cell-phone plans. Check with Verizon, ATT and Sprint for
those packages. The free long-distance is for your land-line phone,
but is tied in with your monthly cell-phone contract.

This is not necessarily true. We have no land line from our cell
provider, Verizon; they don't even serve this area. Our plan does
include free LD, nights & weekends and within our shared prime time
minutes. In effect, any US number is the same price as next door.

We DO have a land line, sort of, because Comcast's crazy pricing is
cheaper for Internet plus phone than alone. I don't know the number and
have the ringer turned off on the phone connected to it. We could call
out in an emergency where our cell phones don't work and the cable
connection does, I suppose

I think you can still find pre-paid long-distance calling cards at
Wal-Mart.

And many bodegas, and so on.

The thing about VoIP is that there are two "types" of VoIP. There is
the carrier-provided VoIP and then there is the "skype" type of VoIP
which uses your Internet connection to attempt to do real-time
communications over a network designed for non-real-time data.

I was talking to a neighbor who is in Boca Raton at the moment. Rats,
mice, aliens, Monte Python 'women', and who knows what else were sharing
the line.

Carrier VoIP is a different animal because it uses VoIP
technology/protocol,
but uses dedicated "pipes" for the purpose.

Yup, the 2 or three times I've tried our Comcast line, it's been
excellent. Whatever they are doing here, other than the slight delay for
a dial tone, it's better than our old copper real land line. We just
don't need it.

Inter Connected Moose

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