I would say that the biggest name in Residential VOIP is Vonage.
Some others to consider are Dialpad and Deltathree (Iconnecthere.com).
All three of these companies offer the Cisco device for broadband
VOIP.
I have used Dialpad and Deltathree in the past without the Cisco
device, and it sounded similar to a cell phone call (not quite as good
as a standard wired or POTS call). I have heard calls from people
using the Cisco device and it sounded like a regular phone call. In
addition to improving quality of the call, the Cisco device is also
nice because your PC does not need to be on in order for you to
receive a call. (In the past, there were "USB Phone Adapters" that
would allow you to hook your standard phone through your PC for
VOIP... the Cisco device is definitely an improvement over that.)
A couple things to note about Dialpad.
One is that they partner heavily with Cisco, and can serve as a test
bed for the latest Cisco approaches to VOIP. The other is found here:
The SIGPRO Filter
http://filter.sigpro.com/archive/020924.html
"September 23, 2002, International Herald Tribune (Don Kirk)
The International Herald Tribune published an article describing the
experiences of Serome Technology, the South Korean corporate parent of
Dialpad Communications. Dialpad was one of the first firms to offer free
VoIP service and accounted for 22% of VoIP minutes at one point, according
to a 2000 report from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 14
million US customers and 6 million South Korean customers had signed up for
the service by July 2001, but after they began charging for the service that
month, most customers left, and Dialpad was forced to file for bankruptcy.
The article notes that Serome valuation has fallen dramatically over the
last three years, and the company had net losses of $77 million last year.
Dialpad emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year after receiving additional
financing from Serome's founder."
Vonage
http://www.vonage.com/
Serome Technology's Dialpad Communications
http://www.dialpad.com/
Deltathree's IConnecthere.com
http://www.iconnecthere.com/ |
Clarification of Answer by
snapanswer-ga
on
08 Feb 2004 22:55 PST
On price, I would give Iconnecthere.com a look. They have a variety
of plans at every point from pay-as-you-go to $0.65/month fee with per
minute charges of 1.9c to 3.9c. Other plans have included minutes.
Perhaps try the free SIP Phone, and if you don't like it, upgrade to
the Cisco device (which they sell for less than Dialpad).
Vonage looks good for flat rate pricing. $35 for unlimited. They
also have a $15 plan that includes 500 minutes and additional minutes
at 3.9c/min. Vonage includes either a Motorola or Cisco device (at no
additional charge).
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Request for Answer Clarification by
pendleton-ga
on
11 Feb 2004 08:43 PST
snapanswer-ga
Q?-- I checked "iconnecthere" and they asked me to identify my area
code in the USA. I live in Mexico. I visit San Antonio, TX from time
to time, butlive in central Mexico. Doesn´t matter or does matter?
Thanks.
Did a great job and I will rate you in a bit.
John
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Clarification of Answer by
snapanswer-ga
on
11 Feb 2004 12:46 PST
If I am looking at the correct place, they are asking you what you
want your area code in the United States to be for your VOIP phone
number. In Texas, there is a choice between Dallas and Houston area
codes... though you can choose whatever area code will be most
convenient for those calling you. In other words, if the majority of
people calling you are in California, you may find it convenient to
choose a California area code. Which ever area code suits you best.
(For an added fee, you can choose a toll free number or Israel area
code, though my impression is neither of those would be of interest,
presently.) It does not appear that they offer area codes for Mexico
at the present time, but, you can select any of the other area codes
they have available.
I hope that helps.
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Request for Answer Clarification by
pendleton-ga
on
14 Feb 2004 15:49 PST
snapanswer-ga
Did you use Vonage so that I can use you as a referral?
LMK.
John .
I am about to take the dive!
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Clarification of Answer by
snapanswer-ga
on
14 Feb 2004 18:01 PST
Thank you for offering the referral on Vonage, however, I do not
currently use their service. The last one I had was Iconnecthere,
but, I tired of waiting for my desired area code. The fact that
Vonage provides the Cisco (or Motorola) device without an additional
charge does make it an attractive offer for flat rate unlimited
calling.
I encourage you to post a comment here about your experience with the
service once you are setup.
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