I too have received the letter from AT&T and need to find an alternative. U-Verse isn't deployed in my area so that is not an option.
I am considering Callcentric over VoicePulse because the calling plans that include Canada. If I went this way I would purchase the Linksys SPA3102 ATA which opens up the possibility of PSTN fallback to copper in the event of a power outage.
All good so far except for the landline. I had hoped to port my CV number to a landline for incoming calls only, then use Callcentric primarily for outgoing traffic but the economics aren't pretty.
The cheapest local line from AT&T comes in at $13.58/month before taxes and charges. I was intrigued by the "AT&T One Rate® 10¢ Nationwide Direct Plan" for $2.99 but I need to add LD on top of this bringing this to $25/month !
Any suggestions at this point would be welcomed. Living in South Florida the copper would be a handy backup during hurricane season as well as providing an alternative for 911. On the 911 front I can report that both with Vonage and CV E911 has worked well in the past when needed but it is always nice to have options.
AT&T charges a lot of money for landlines. My $32 AT&T POTS line runs $45 after all taxes and made up fees.
If you can try VOIP and get a $10 cell phone from a local box store to call 911 during a power outage. I believe cell phones must provide 911 service if available. I don't believe you need to have an activated account to call 911 by cell. -- "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."
Thanks for the quick reply. I should have pointed out that we have mobile service BUT we live about a mile away from the Everglades and the coverage is spotty. It works well upstairs but we not downstairs.
Then there are the storms. During Hurricane Wilma, Internet, mobile, and copper were all down, but the latter for only about a day.
I am coming around to the view that I will port my current home number on CV to Callcentric then keep looking for a deal on a copper line. It was the FXO capability of the SPA3102 that got me thinking that it would be nice to have a landline backup. One other reason to have one is that both with Vonage and CV sending faxes is a hit and miss afair. We only send one or two a month so I can live with it I guess.
reply to tpalik AT&T wants to charge an installation fee of $149 if you just want to sign up with the Uverse phone service! What a rip for those of us who already have Call Vantage. I'm going with Vonage.
AT&T wants to charge an installation fee of $149 if you just want to sign up with the Uverse phone service! What a rip for those of us who already have Call Vantage. I'm going with Vonage.
I simply called AT&T and politely asked them to waive the install fee since I was switching from CallVantage. They said "yes" immediately. And it didn't appear on my bill.
reply to tpalik If you need to send faxes, there is »www.box.net which permits users to send free faxes within the U.S. -- "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use."
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