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

[Chuck Norcutt]

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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