Reviews:
 ·RCN CABLE
| [Fixed] Home Phone Connect »www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com···2011.jpg
I have a question on this Home Phone Connect. As near as I can tell you can buy this service from Verizon for $20/mo with a 2 year contract, from net10 $18/mo with $69 equipment, and Walmart for $15/mo with $99 equipment purchase.
My question is what is the monthly "extra"charges? Is there a huge Subscriber Line Charge? Are there technical problems?
I prefer this over a VOIP as I would like to keep the systems separate in case of outages or billing disputes. |
|
|
|
Reviews:
 ·ooma
 ·Virgin Mobile Br..
·Charter
 ·HughesNet Satell..
·Millenicom
1 recommendation | Verizon WILL hit you with a bunch of FEES and TAXES (just as any contract phone does).
Wal-Mart's straighttalk home phone package is just the $15 plus sales tax, so is net 10's(at what ever monthly rate it is), and they both are no contract.
said by Pacomartin:»www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com···2011.jpg
I have a question on this Home Phone Connect. As near as I can tell you can buy this service from Verizon for $20/mo with a 2 year contract, from net10 $18/mo with $69 equipment, and Walmart for $15/mo with $99 equipment purchase.
My question is what is the monthly "extra"charges? Is there a huge Subscriber Line Charge? Are there technical problems?
I prefer this over a VOIP as I would like to keep the systems separate in case of outages or billing disputes.
|
|
 tipstir
join:2004-11-14
Boca Raton, FL
kudos:1 | reply to Pacomartin
Always check your options. Depending where you live taxes could be very high. I have regular cell phone service with them it's not cheap I can tell you for 3 cell phones per mouth. |
|
SCADAGeo
join:2012-11-08
N California
kudos:2 | reply to Pacomartin
said by Pacomartin:I have a question on this Home Phone Connect.
---
Are there technical problems?
Here are some recent "Voice Link" articles that may be of interest:
DSLr: FCC Pushes Back Decision on Verizon's Killing of DSL, POTS
DSLr: More Sandy Victims To Be Told Their DSL Won't Be Repaired
Huffington Post: Verizon's Assault on the Truth: The Plan to Replace the Copper Started in 2010 With Home Phone Connect aka Verizon Wireless Voice Link
said by Pacomartin:I prefer this over a VOIP as I would like to keep the systems separate in case of outages or billing disputes.
Usage (avg minutes per month) wasn't mentioned, but there is another option for consideration - an OBiHai 200 or 202 Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) with OBiBT Bluetooth adapter, paired via Bluetooth with a cell phone that has an unlimited use (or high voice minute?) plan.
One advantage of this option is that Google Voice (free calling to US/Canada until the end of 2013), OBiNet (free calling to other OBi owners), and VoIP can be used until there is an outage and/or billing dispute.
If an outage and/or billing dispute occurs, then outbound calls from the home phone will use the cellular network. 
Other advantages - you can use the cell phone when traveling (if not needed by others in the house), and tethering for internet access (if available with an appropriate data plan) during an outage and/or billing dispute. |
|
Reviews:
·RCN CABLE
1 edit | said by SCADAGeo:Usage (avg minutes per month) wasn't mentioned, but there is another option for consideration - an OBiHai 200 or 202 Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) I considered this option. Current cell plan is $29.99 for 200 minutes, and can be upgraded for $69.99 to Unlimited minutes. The ATA is for convenience at home and takes out dead cell coverage in basement. It looks like the best option for one person living alone. Not as good for three people.
It is less expensive to add Basic Talk Home for $15/mo + $99 equipment charge.
==============
Last year at the very end of a bad hurricane a tree fell on the power and cable lines cutting off service to only two houses. As it was a very low priority out of tens of thousands of homes it took almost a week to restore services (power and cable). You can run a generator but it can't repair a downed cable line. It made me think that VOIP is not such a good idea all the time. It may be better to have redundant system for voice communication.
==============
Thank you for the link to the article about the bigger picture. It seems like prior to 1984 there was a high priority on a telephone network that worked even if there was widespread power outages.
Now companies want to dismember it in favor of less costly options. Most people don't care since they want more convenience and lower prices, and most people only lose power for a few hours at most. |
|
SCADAGeo
join:2012-11-08
N California
kudos:2 | said by Pacomartin:Current cell plan is $29.99 for 200 minutes, and can be upgraded for $69.99 to Unlimited minutes.
If you are in an area with good T-Mobile coverage, LycaMobile is a T-Mobile MVNO which has a pay-as-you-go rate of $0.02/min for domestic calls.
Pros of the pay-as-you-go plan (Testing since Aug 5, 2013):
- $0.02 per minute domestic voice (rounded up in minute increments),
- $0.04 per outbound domestic SMS (inbound is free!),
- $0.06 per MB of data (if needed),
- Funds do not expire, but a call must be made once every 90 days to keep account active,
- No taxes (yet)
Cons (so far):
- No roaming on the AT&T network
said by Pacomartin:It is less expensive to add Basic Talk Home for $15/mo + $99 equipment charge.
==============
Last year at the very end of a bad hurricane a tree fell on the power and cable lines cutting off service to only two houses. As it was a very low priority out of tens of thousands of homes it took almost a week to restore services (power and cable). You can run a generator but it can't repair a downed cable line. It made me think that VOIP is not such a good idea all the time. It may be better to have redundant system for voice communication.
==============
Our families usage patterns probably differ.
I wanted a redundant, cellular based, backup for my PBX because I live in Northern California, where the seasons seem to be comprised of Windstorm, Drought, Heatwave, Firestorm, Flood, Mudslide, and Earthquake.
There have been periods without POTS and broadband for up to 10 days, and we were among the fortunate, because the electrical lines were only down for a few days, so fuel wasn't an issue.
said by Pacomartin:Thank you for the link to the article about the bigger picture. It seems like prior to 1984 there was a high priority on a telephone network that worked even if there was widespread power outages.
You're welcome.
We were fortunate that PT&T/PacBell/PacTel/SBC/ATT/NameOfTheYear was reliable until the early 2000's... |
|
 AMDUSERPremium
join:2003-05-28
Earth,
kudos:1
 ·AT&T U-Verse
·Time Warner Cable
| reply to Pacomartin
The Striaght talk home phone uses Verizon...
I'm currenly looking at this option myself.. At&t wants $40 for phone service, locally anyways. ... I can't justify have a home phone for that price. |
|
Reviews:
·RCN CABLE
| said by AMDUSER:At&t wants $40 for phone service, locally anyways. ... I can't justify have a home phone for that price They might as well send you a notice that says "We really don't want your business, but we are federally required to offer it to you. Here is our non-competitive price, we hope you will turn us down."
RCN offers phone alone for $29.99, but presumably most people want phone bundled with internet access.
RCN package offers
$79.99/mo 225 TV Channels 71 in HD INTERNET SPEED: 25 Mbps
Includes 3 digital converter boxes, plus cable modem rental.
Signature Digital TV & 25 Mbps High-Speed Internet & Phone
$99.99/mo 225 TV Channels 71 in HD INTERNET SPEED: 25 Mbps + unlimited calling phone.
Includes 1 HD Converter box, PLUS cable modem rental and wireless router.
At first glance you are paying $20/mo for the phone, but an HD box is $10/mo, and a router is $5. But each digital converter box is $5 month for std definition TV's. In addition you must pay $8.50 in subscriber line charge for the phone.
So depending on your configuration (number and type of TV's and if you buy your own router) it is not clear if you will pay less with 2nd option or 1st option + Walmart Straight Talk.
===
There are pros/cons with either option. After a freak storm took down the cable, I wished I had a separate phone service. I could plug the phone into a gasoline generator.
On the other hand, I think RCN is more responsive since I have all three services with them. They make offers like free virus checking software, etc. |
|
AMDUSERPremium
join:2003-05-28
Earth,
kudos:1 Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
·Time Warner Cable
1 edit | I went ahead an bought the Straightalk home phone.. from reading the box, it appears it comes with a battery backup. [I have At&t Uverse phone and slow 6 Meg internet..] It appears based on the lack of response in Att direct, I may be calling the cable co. and have them install cable internet.
[ Straight talk Phone and 15 Meg cable internet = $52 or so after tax per month.. not bad.]
The folks in Att Direct did respond, unfortunately, the line tops out at 6 Meg service.. |
|
Reviews:
·RCN CABLE
| The VOIP phones have a battery as well. It gives you a few hours of operation. I would advise getting a USB phone and signing up for Google Voice or skype. Google Voice is free right now, so for only the $25 cost of a phone you can talk anywhere in the USA. It gives you another backup for the Straight Talk if that should ever go down. |
|
SCADAGeo
join:2012-11-08
N California
kudos:2 | reply to AMDUSER
said by AMDUSER:[I have At&t Uverse phone and slow 6 Meg internet..] It appears based on the lack of response in Att direct, I may be calling the cable co. and have them install cable internet.
A reliable, 128 kbps upload/download (very conservative figure, based upon g711u codec, rounded up) is all that is needed per phone call. |
|
