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[Optimum Voice] Verizon land line vs optimum voiceI think I'm finally ready to make the big switch from my Verizon land line ( after 15 years of service ) to optimum voice. I had optimum voice for about a year but only used it as fax line. My question is directed to those who heavily use Their optimum Voice service. What if any problems do you have with the service? One of my concerns is once the internet is down everything is down. Verizon has been my old faithful In regard to never shutting down in those 15 years. However I am paying 85.00 a month for that.... |
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Fax lines are a lot more sensitive to QOS issues than a voice line is. If that was smooth, you'll be fine with voice. Plus, you already know how your uptime reliability is with OOL service. I have no issues with my Optimum Voice, with the infrequent amount I use it. |
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to socialworker
I have had it for years. Yes, it does go down if your cable goes out, and yes, it does not perform reliably in a power failure. However, where I live the same can be said for Verizon landline. There's always a cell phone to use in that situation. Otherwise, I like OV better than I ever liked Verizon landline service. |
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to socialworker
My Verizon land line was nothing but trouble. It would go out for at least a week 2x per year. I went to the triple play about 6 years ago and never had a problem with the rare exception being the OOL service went out. We use the voice line every day and sometimes for hours at a time. No problems at all. When the OOL does go out the calls go right to my cell phone. The only service that I don't like is the "Find Me" service. If I add my cell phone and my cell phone is off or has a dead battery then no calls go to the home phone. All the calls go right to the cell phone voice mail. Other then that we love OV. It also worked with my alarm system when I had it. |
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Great! thank you all!! |
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 MxxCon
join:1999-11-19
Brooklyn, NY
Actiontec MI424WR Rev. I
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to socialworker
said by socialworker:One of my concerns is once the internet is down everything is down. This is not exactly accurate. OV is not running on top of OOL. It is in parallel. You can be in a situation where one service works but the other one doesn't. They are not dependent on each other. |
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 WK2
Premium Member
join:2006-12-28
united state |
to socialworker
IO Voice has never given me an issue, good service |
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ARRIS TM1602
Netgear R8000
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to socialworker
It is possible bad line quality could knock out Optimum Voice due to the modem resynching. I had that issue with a bad splitter that caused my Arris modem to recycle knocking out internet and OV.
However, once Cablevision figured out the issue and replaced the splitter, there have been no outages. |
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to socialworker
said by socialworker:~
However I am paying 85.00 a month for that.... No frills Verizon POTS was $35.00/month including tax here. Used it as a backup for Vonage VOIP then OV. Unfortunately, the Verizon service got worse and worse over time that we replaced it with Magic Jack + @ $20.00/year at the time. We now have OV and MJ+, no regrets. And yes, when OOL goes they both go but we have cellphones. UPSs take care of power cuts. |
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to socialworker
I am sorry so many people here had issues with their Verizon service. $85 seems excessive. In my home we stick with a Verizon landline because to us its the most dependable one.
Cellphones failed for many during Hurricane Sandy, so much so that carriers had to share networks in an unconventional way. Not to mention when something happens cellular networks get slam. I recall in certain areas they could only receive calls and not make them.
If the op goes with basic phone it should not be anywhere near $85. Basic should be less than $20.
Cablevision's phone service Optimum Voice has many more points of failure than traditional phone service.
Consider what works best for you in non-ideal situations. |
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» www.huffingtonpost.com/2 ··· 664.html" Yet the flooding caused by Sandy destroyed 95 percent of Verizon's landline network in lower Manhattan, and the company is still working to replace its aging copper phone lines, which were badly damaged, with new fiber-optic cables that it says will provide faster Internet service and be more resilient to future floods. Time Warner Cable already offers digital phone and Internet service via fiber-optic cables and sustained less damage during the storm." |
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to socialworker
These days you can go with a 3rd party VOIP carrier such as Ooma, since they can handle modem/fax lines as well. There are a few security systems you might want to have a POTS line for, but the vast majority can run on this or be adaptable to it. Overall cost will go down (in time) with 3rd part voip. |
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to dudeman456
said by dudeman456:I am sorry so many people here had issues with their Verizon service. $85 seems excessive. In my home we stick with a Verizon landline because to us its the most dependable one.
Cellphones failed for many during Hurricane Sandy, so much so that carriers had to share networks in an unconventional way. Not to mention when something happens cellular networks get slam. I recall in certain areas they could only receive calls and not make them.
If the op goes with basic phone it should not be anywhere near $85. Basic should be less than $20.
Cablevision's phone service Optimum Voice has many more points of failure than traditional phone service.
Consider what works best for you in non-ideal situations. Perhaps the OP should reevaluate his/her existing Verizon landline bill. Perhaps there are features and/or packages that are no longer needed. There are definitely at least a couple "non-basic" charges on that bill. No way a straight line-in with limited local will bill that much per month. As far as basic being less than $20, yes that is technically correct. But once all the surcharges and taxes are factored in, the basic bill is closer to $30 per month. |
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said by SirQAM :As far as (Verizon) basic being less than $20, yes that is technically correct. But once all the surcharges and taxes are factored in, the basic bill is closer to $30 per month. Right. That's why I can't figure out how the OP is paying $85 for Verizon. Even adding on voicemail and caller ID and some type of calling plan, it shouldn't be $85. And I was a longtime customer. The OP should not hesitate to go to OV. Millions of people use OV. It's actually quite a conservative choice. A little bit more on the wild side, many people use 3rd party VoIP providers such as Vonage, Basic Talk (a Vonage brand), Voipo, and CallCentric. I gave up Verizon at home and at work long ago. I do have an OV line but mainly use 3rd party BYOD VoIP providers especially CallCentric. |
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I just checked the bill and I'm paying 57.00 in voice package which includes unlimited nationwide calling, plus calling waiting and caller ID. On top of that I'm paying 20.00 in taxes. It appears I'm getting taken to the cleaners.
Voice
Federal Excise Tax.30
NY State and Local Sales Tax6.10
NY State and Local Sales Tax.16
911 Surcharge1.00
Federal Universal Service Fee1.02
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges.56
Federal Universal Service Fee2.47
Federal Subscriber Line Charge6.34
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges1.56
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges.20
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges1.11
Federal Universal Service Fee.23
NY State Gross Revenue Tax Surcharge.04
MCTD Gross Revenue Tax Surcharge.01
Carrier Cost Recovery Charge.99
Long Distance Administrative Charge.74
NY Universal Service Fund.05
Total Taxes, Fees & Other Charges 22.88 |
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Booost
Anon
2013-Nov-17 6:24 am
I don't have any long distance calling on my POTS line. Only local calling. I use my cell phone for all toll / long distance calls. |
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to socialworker
said by socialworker: It appears I'm getting taken to the cleaners. Yes. Don't you think it is time to do something about it? ----- This is why OptimumVoice has acquired millions of customers (literally) from Verizon landline. Verizon does NOT want your business anyway. Here is public proof from the NY Times: Roll over in your grave, Alexander Graham Bell.
That was in effect what Ivan Seidenberg, the chief executive of Verizon Communications -– one of the largest descendants of the old Bell System — declared this morning.
Speaking to a Goldman Sachs investor conference, Mr. Seidenberg said Verizon was simply no longer concerned with telephones that are connected with wires.... » bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2 ··· ss/?_r=0 |
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"Mr. Seidenberg said Verizon was simply no longer concerned with telephones that are connected with wires...."
Got that impression too. I can recall two week stretches when the Verizon line was down. Also, they gave up our number to MJ within just a few days. A mutual good riddance of sorts. |
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to PX Eliezer1
Thank you! I just requested my landland number to be ported over to cablevision. Thank you for the New York Times link! |
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Booost
Anon
2013-Nov-17 6:54 pm
Cablevision still raping you for $40 for the port? |
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Yup, but to be honest I would rather the one time fee of 40.00 than 80.00 monthly. |
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MxxCon
join:1999-11-19
Brooklyn, NY ARRIS TM822
Actiontec MI424WR Rev. I
1 recommendation |
to socialworker
said by socialworker:911 Surcharge1.00
Federal Universal Service Fee1.02
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges.56
Federal Universal Service Fee2.47
Federal Subscriber Line Charge6.34
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges1.56
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges.20
NY State and Local Tax Surcharges1.11
Federal Universal Service Fee.23
NY State Gross Revenue Tax Surcharge.04
MCTD Gross Revenue Tax Surcharge.01
Carrier Cost Recovery Charge.99
Long Distance Administrative Charge.74
NY Universal Service Fund.05
Total Taxes, Fees & Other Charges 22.88 None of these are real taxes. These are fees that VZ decided to charge you on their own. I'm surprised they didn't have "office toilet paper fee" and "burned coffee replacement surcharge" on there. :/ |
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to socialworker
Switching from POTS to OV wouldn't save me any money. And then there's the $40 porting fee imposed by Cablevision, plus the $40 fee for installation even though the tech would do absolutely nothing. $80 for Cablevision to do bupkis. |
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WK2
Premium Member
join:2006-12-28
united state |
WK2
Premium Member
2013-Nov-18 9:07 am
Isn't there still an option for self install? |
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said by WK2:Isn't there still an option for self install? If you pick a new phone number. But if you port a number, OV does insist on coming. There are plenty of fine 3rd party VoIP companies (Voipo, CallCentric, BasicTalk, to name a few) and many of them charge nothing for porting. But for the OP who was hesitant to leave Verizon at all, OV seemed a good first step. |
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to Booost
You can get one of the fees waived. Call to cancel the install due to the $80 fees and one will be waived. |
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to Booost
said by Booost :Switching from POTS to OV wouldn't save me any money. And then there's the $40 porting fee imposed by Cablevision, plus the $40 fee for installation even though the tech would do absolutely nothing. $80 for Cablevision to do bupkis. You can get the install requirement waived if you complain enough. I had to talk to a supervisor and basically promise not to touch the verizon wiring. Also had to agree that cable vision would not be responsible if I connected both services together at the same time. I told them I'd be using the service with a stand alone phone plugged directly into the modem to make things easy. Once the number was ported, I unplugged the phone line going to the Verizon ONT and plugged in the CV modem. Ridiculous they charge $40 for that. |
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to socialworker
If you already have Optimum, getting phone service for a $30 flat fee is a no-brainer. in addition to the giant list of standard features you get with Optimum Voice such as nationwide calls, call forwarding, Caller ID on TV, voicemail and access to your account features via internet, the cable network is more reliable as a whole. There are battery backups at every node to ensure uninterrupted service in case of a power outage that last hours. Even if these batteries happen to die, Cablevision line monitors will be able to pinpoint the area and send techs with a generator to maintain the service until the system is restored. All you need is a wired phone and a battery backup in your modem which you can ask for when ordering. Unlike Verizon copper, Cablevision can tell if something is wrong in your area without anyone calling about it. If all else fails you can set up call forwarding to your cell phone and if you're a T-mobile customer, you can use Optimum wifi to make calls and send texts. |
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Booost
Anon
2013-Nov-18 5:07 pm
said by IMSteve :in addition to the giant list of standard features you get with Optimum Voice such as nationwide calls, call forwarding, Caller ID on TV, voicemail and access to your account features via internet, None of which I need. said by IMSteve :There are battery backups at every node to ensure uninterrupted service in case of a power outage that last hours. Even if these batteries happen to die, Cablevision line monitors will be able to pinpoint the area and send techs with a generator to maintain the service until the system is restored. Ha, ha. Funniest thing I've read all day. We had a 6 hour power-failure this summer and CV service died in less than 2 hours. And during Sandy, our POTS worked perfectly while CV was down for almost a week. |
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IMSteve
Anon
2013-Nov-20 9:57 am
If that's true about the week without service, I can bet you that it was because of a downed pole or electrical safety issue that must be resolved by the power company first. |
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