I'm moving my office to the next town over, and I'd like to keep my
current landline phone number. I checked, and my current number
(attached to a Comcast digitial phone) can be ported to a cell phone
(using Wireless Local Number Portability). Unfortunately, the
telephone company setting up my new phone (Verizon) can't/won't move
my current number to my new office's phone. So, I'm looking for some
service or product that would:
- take over my existing landline phone number
- take all calls dialed to the original phone number and forward them
to a new phone number (the one Verizon assigned me when I got my new
office's phone)
- preserve the Caller ID information from any call to the original
number in the call to the new number.
An example solution: I could get a new cell phone, transferring the
original number to the cell phone. I could then set the cell phone to
always forward to the new phone number. Problems: this wouldn't
preserve the Caller ID information (calls received at the new number
would always display the original number as the call source), and it
would be expensive (I'd have to pay airtime for all incoming calls).
Although I'm looking into other solutions, I'm here only asking the following:
- Are there companies that offer a telphone forwarding service that
would do the above? In other words, they would take over my existing
phone number and forward all calls to a new number, preserving any
caller ID information in the original call? |
Clarification of Question by
griscom-ga
on
26 Aug 2004 06:24 PDT
Thanks for your comment. I do educational software consulting. I have
two problems with changing my phone number right now. First, I've
worked at the current one for nine years now, and dozens of ex-clients
know it. Any one of them might try calling that number now, in six
months, or in three years, offering new work. Second, I'm moving from
a home office to a formal business office, and I'm not at all sure
I'll be staying at this location for even a year. If I change my
number to the Verizon-issued one, and then decide to move again in six
months, I'll be right back where I am now: worried about losing
contact with old clients.
My current working solution is to switch to using a VOIP service
(Internet phone) which can take over my existing number just like a
cellphone. Plans start at $15/month, so I'd save money as well
(although since Verizon is servicing my DSL line I have to maintain a
$22/month telephone line with them). My only concerns are sound
quality and reliability, and both of those have gotten much better and
will continue to get better.
Thanks again,
Dan
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