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Review by StarBus 
UPDATED: 4.5 years ago
member for 6.7 years, 3 visits, last login: 4.5 years ago
 Framingham,Middlesex,MA
 $28 per month
 about 3 days
 "6 mo update: Total satisfaction. Early tech issues resolved"
 "Number portability delayed. 911 (local emergency routing) still unavailable"
 "Outguns VOIP w/bigger market share: $25 to 35 countries. Finally, RBOC quality"
| Web-site:
Ease of Installation:
Call Quality:
Reliability:
Tech Support:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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05-May-2005, From Ellery Davies
This is my comprehensive update to a review I wrote letter on Nov 22, 2004
Back then, I had used BroadVoice VOIP service with a separately purchased phone adapter for 3 weeks. The adapter, called a SIP, is slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes, but weighs just a few ounces. It converts any standard phone (or all phones in your house - or an incoming trunk to your company) into a "free" international phone. (More about hardware/phone options later)...
In my earlier report, I described how I came to choose BroadVoice from the competitive landscape: BroadVoice, Packet8, AT&T/Callvantage, iConnect, Skype, VoicePulse, Lingo, Vonage, VOIP2.net, Verizon/VoiceWing. My choice was a result of three factors:
1. Reputation (primarily based on reviews & comparisons at BroadBand Reports)
2. Policy: BroadVoice does not "lock" equipment. Also, they permit the use multiple adapters and even encourage you to "roam" (but never more than one attached to the network at a time).
3. Price:
a) BroadVoice covers 35 countries in the monthly fee. The others include US, Canada and a few countries at best.
b) The BroadVoice "basic feature package" includes nearly every feature you can imagine (more about this later)
c) Extra international numbers are just $1.95 per month. That means that Aunt Sadie in England can dial you as a local call, even though she still uses a crank phone.
RECAP (Past Review): What did I report after the first three weeks?
It took a few service calls over the first three weeks to overcome initial configuration problems. During the first week, the speech delay was often unacceptable, audio quality was inconsistent and occasionally, the phone didn't ring (calls went straight to voice mail). This was sorted out after several support calls.
At first, the support staff thought that the problems would be solved by settings in my internet router -- but I had already been down that route. My settings were fine. Later in the first week, the problems were resolved by a combination of their own routing (switching the server assignment on their end), and by my avoiding the use of a new and unsupported D-Link router (#DI-624). Service during the second and third week seemed to gradually improve. In my report after 3 weeks, I stated that most calls were "almost indistinguishable" from telephone company service. Well, service has improved dramatically since then...
Update: It's been 6 months. It's time to review Quality, Service, Features, Cost/Geography, Terminus options
1. Service Quality
It rocks! Voice quality and all aspects of the BroadVoice connection are perfect! --They have been perfect since the end of my 3rd week more than 5 months ago. I have had no problems at all since I last wrote, except for the "last-minute update" in next paragraph). BroadVoice is better than my former Verizon/AT&T service. The audio quality is significantly better. There is no background hiss and it has a richer dynamic range. If I place a call from one line to the other, (so that I can hear my own voice), I can tell that there is a very slight delay (just under 100 ms). But if you avoid "daisy chaining" your phone adapter through internal network switches, the round trip delay is well under the psychological threshold of "speaker-interruption" syndrome.
Last-Minute Update: On the very day that I am writing this - after 6 months of service - their is a general problem with incoming calls. Apparently, it affects all users, because a service bulletin appears in the left frame of BroadVoice support pages - "We are aware of the problem affecting incoming calls..." Since my main home phone number has not yet been ported, this is not a problem for me. But I bet it is a big deal for anyone who has cancelled phone service from their incumbent provider. The thing that concerns me about this problem with incoming calls is that it also affects forwarding. I programmed my service to forward after 2 rings. But during this service problem all incoming calls are intercepted by a fast busy signal!
Voice Impact on Data Throughput: I regularly use my VOIP service from both my office and my home (see #5a below) and have never noticed any impact on web browsing or even file transfers. It simply is invisible. BroadVoice says that the impact is about 110 kbps, but only when you are actually talking. Most cable service connections support 2~5 MBps or about 20-50 times the speed required for voice. To be fair, residential internet services restrict the UPSTREAM speed to about 1/6 of the incoming speed. They do this to discourage residential users from running popular data services from their homes (web servers, newsgroups, etc). But there is still plenty of overhead for one or two voice connections. Bottom Line: No noticeable impact at all
(Side Note: An engineer at my office points out that eventually - as people begin streaming video and audio services around their homes - these voice services will eventually require a router capable of QOS ("Quality of Service" settings). That's because the 2-way nature of telephone conversations demands priority over even a video stream. The video data (say from your PC to your living room television) is one-way and could easily be buffered by a 1-second memory reservoir.)
2. Customer Service
Haven't needed any; with one exception (not related to service quality, below). But I have noticed that getting a live person takes much longer during daytime hours than it used to. Fortunately, there have been no service problems.
BroadVoice had promised that they would offer local number portability - so that I could cancel my Verizon phone service. Originally they said that it would be in place by October 2004. That's why I signed up at the end of October. Here I am 5 months later and I am still paying more than 100 per month for my 2 Verizon lines. It's uncomfortable, but BroadVoice claims that despite new laws in their favor, the incumbents are able to drag their feet with paperwork. They recommend cutting back on all features with your former service to reduce fees. I really ought to do that.
3. Service Features
Don't even get me started! How would you like to have ONE NUMBER that rings at your home, cell, and office phone simultaneously? Answer it wherever you like or have it hunt for you - all without remembering to forward/restore. What about three way international calls - for free! There are too many features to describe, but they are all described here. Only the last set of features shown on this page is billed. The first two categories are included. Features can all be controlled from a web browser or any touch tone phone.
4. Cost/Geography
This hasn't changed since I signed up. But it is still the category killer. No one even comes close. Cost is $19.95/month for 21 countries or $24.95/mo for 35 countries. Tax is only $1.40.
A list of counties is shown here. You can't beat that with a stick. Kitty calls her family in China regularly (she leaves for a 2-week visit on Monday). My niece, Caryn, is in Australia attending the University of Newcastle. All of these calls are free. The only thing I need to consider is the different time zone. Cost no longer enters the equation. Of course, you have to have a broadband internet connection and you still pay a monthly fee. But the decision to reach out and touch someone simply won't add to your expenses anymore. How sweet is that?!
My colleague, Monya Morgovsky, points out that the list misses former Soviet republics, and also Mexico. That's true. We called major cities in Mexcio at 3c/min. Russia is 2c/min and the Ukraine is under 1.5c/min - all without hidden fees or taxes. Complete international rates are shown at: »www.broadVoice.com/rateplans_int···_li.html
5. User Equipment or Software
There are three end-user "equipment" options. But before I explain how they work, I will point out that this is where BroadVoice is unique! Not only do they permit you to move about the world with your hardware or software connection, they allow you to use "in serial sequence" any number of devices. It's like having a spare cell phone at each of your vacation homes and being permitted to use them on a single account. They actually encourage this practice - as long as you honor your agreement by avoiding the use (or even the simultaneous connection) of two "locals" at once.
a) Phone Adapter (SIP)
The "typical method" of accessing your VOIP service is to use a hardware phone adapter (called a SIP). It is a palm-size device that you can carry to any home or office with high-speed internet service and it makes your existing phones work over the internet - instead of with the phone company. The next three paragraphs describe it in more detail, but don't be alarmed. It really is a simple device. Very much plug-n-play...
The SIP has a connection for your LAN (typically this comes from your router or primary switch) and either one a standard RJ-11 phone jack for your house phone. (On the fancier version, there is a 2nd phone jack which serves a separate phone line if you pay for two lines). BroadVoice recommends attaching a single telephone or a multi-line cordless phone. Of course, you can also hook up all of your house phones on on either line 1 or line 2, but you must be careful to disconnect any incoming phone service trunk. Otherwise, the dialtone and ring voltage will endanger the phone network outside your home.
I sometimes carry my adapter to my office. When I hook it in, all of our office phones suddenly have access to an additional line which let's us reach our international customers without charge. I use the Sipura SPA2000 which is also marketed as the Linksys PAP2 at computer and electronic stores. But watch out! The ones at Best Buy and Circuit city are LOCKED into Vonage or AT&T and cannot be reset to work with BroadVoice unless you buy out the "rebate contract" by paying a fee. On eBay, you can get an unlocked Linksys model. Look for "-NA" at the end of the model number: PAP2-NA.
A SIP costs about $60 after discounts. Vonage and AT&T have the retail marketing agreements completely locked up. Their Linksys and D-Link adapters typically are FREE after rebate, but you cannot use these with BroadVoice, because they have tampered with the internal firmware. BroadVoice offers one with their service, but you pay an $40 activation fee. I chose to buy my own which reduces the activation fee to $10. My model, the Sipura SPA 2000 costs about $65 and supports two different phone numbers.
Of course, I was not eligible for the rebates which are generally tied to Vonage or AT&T Callvantage (the top 2 providers). But I was very happy to find a coupon in the box that gave me a free month with BroadVoice. My employer learned later that coupons for both BroadVoice and Lingo were added by my dealer, Voxilla.com. They just purchased the same Sipura adapter from VOIPsupply.com which does not include a service coupon.
Bottom Line: The SIPs sold at retail stores are tied to the two biggest VOIP service providers. It's a classic marketing "come-on". They offer an up front discount for inferior service and a higher subscription cost. They cannot be unlocked without paying a concession fee and "buying back" the original rebate. Walk the other way: Buy an unmodified SIP on eBay or from Voxilla, or use the one that BroadVoice offers with their service (but that adds $30 to the activation fee -just $9.95 if you bring your own SIP).
b) Soft Phone
There are several industry standard SIP applications that you can run on your PC. They are free and you can download them at BroadVoice. The most popular one is called SoftPhone. Of course, you need your PC and you really ought to have a good headset (USB or audio card) or a bluetooth headset. Soft phones work great and they offer unlimited portability. Now you can even place and receive calls from StarBucks. But you may prefer to use your cell phone. With a PC soft phone, there three important caveats:
1. You must have your PC with you; Of course, it must be on and running the software to make or receive a call.
2. You must be absolutely certain that your hardware SIP (the one back at your home -if you use one) is not only not in use, but is completely disconnected from the internet. If you are not positive, don't launch your PC softphone program! That would result in 2 registered phones with the same number. A big "no-no". It violates your service agreement and confuses BroadVoice servers.
Item #2 above is so important, that I recommend creating a batch file to remind you. It should bring up a warning to call your spouse at home and DISCONNECT that SIP before it lanches the application.
c) WIFI Phone
First a distinction: You can find "IP phones" on ebay for as little as $19. But these are just USB handsets. They work with a soft phone program running on the PC, but allow you to use the handheld microphone, speaker and keypad. Sure these are useful. They let you control your soft phone from a traditional handset. But they are not WiFi phones.
For a few hundred bucks, you can purchase an integrated WiFi phone from Pulver, UTStarcom, Motorola/Avaya or Zyxel. These devices look like cell phones, but they make calls on your BroadVocie service whenever you are in the vicinity of a WiFi hot spot. Well actually, they look like a cell phone from the mid 90s. Most of the models have the form factor of a jumbo chocolate bar.
BroadVoice officially supports the Pulver model, but they are about to recommend the UTStarcom which is also supported by Vonage.
I have not tried these integrated WiFi handsets, but the early reviewers have had seen intermittant quality and serious problems using them from public hot spots, such as airports and restaurants (that's really the whole point - isn't it)?! Although you can enter a WiFi encryption password from the handset, most commerical WiFi spots intercept your connection attempt with a web form that assumes you have a standard full screen browser. Let's say it asks you to enter the number from your cash register receipt at a McDonald's restaurant. Even if you find someone else in the place with a PC, they can only authorize the hardware serial number of their own equipment.
Just as with the soft phone, you must ensure that any hardware SIP used with the same account is completely disconnected from the internet (see #2 above). This is really important!
6. Other Comments
[From my previous report]... We use a 2-line, 5.8 GHz cordless phones (Uniden #TRU-8866 with 5 handsets). It works beautifully with VOIP service. Currently, our cordless phones have one landline and the BroadVoice line. Until BroadVoice can offer number portability, we are not yet removing our landline from the house-wired telephones.
7. Conclusion
The quality of BroadVoice service has made significant strides. It has gone from very good to outstanding - in fact, downright phenomenal. This spells big trouble for the incumbents. If I were an equities advisor, I would caution my clients to look beyond voice service when investing in the incumbent RBOCs. Their pioneering reign of supremacy in that area is only of to historians.
P.S. Today, my office is purchasing its own BroadVoice service. I won't have to carry my SIP back and forth anymore... In fact, nearly everyone I know is switching during this month or next month.
"Ellery Davies" BroadbandReports (at) starbus (dot) com
508-486-9040, ext-11 VOIP number (referral) 508-449-3422:
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