Verizon FiOS → [FiOS Phone] FIOS Digital Voice from Standard Phone ?

A few years ago, I was converted from copper to Fios, for just continuing with phone service in my area, per Verizon's request. So, I always though that I had FIOS Phone, but just realizes that my Phone Service is still consdiered "Standard Phone Service (i.e. Message rate).

1. This is confusing, can one explain this ?

2. So, can I just get FIOS Digital Voice", by itself ? ... Or, can I only get "FIOS Digital Voice", if I order it with either FIOS Internet or FIOS TV ?

Sure, it's easy to explain. You were actually converted from copper to fiber, not FiOS. FiOS is a set of services that run on top of fiber, but not all services on fiber are FiOS. Since Verizon's advertising doesn't distinguish between FiOS and fiber, this confuses many people.

Verizon uses fiber optics to deliver two different phone services. One is the government regulated, tariffed service know as "standard phone service," or POTS (plain old telephone service). It has all the same features (or lack of features) as a copper phone line. Pricing is the same as any other copper line. The only difference is potentially better quality due to the use of fiber and the need for power and a battery on your premise.

FiOS Digital Voice (or "FDV"), is an unregulated, VoIP based service. Since it's VoIP over a private network, there are no quality issues. It has lots more features than POTs.

As to if Verizon will sell FDV without any other FiOS services, your best bet is to ask them.

Good Luck.

Thanks ! You explained it clearly and precisely. Kudos !

gs0b's explantion was good but let me add...'-}}

I'm pretty sure I had the same phone service you currently have when I first switched to FiOS back in 2009--I live in a garden style condo complex.

The phone service was called "Freedom Essentials" (vs. "Digital Voice"). The main difference for me between my old Verizon POTS service (via copper) and "Freedom Essentials" (via fiber) was that I didn't have to pay an additional fee for any long distance/toll calls I made, I now had caller-id (included, no extra charge) and a couple of other features I didn't pay much attention to. I also continued to pay the "standard" phone taxes I'd always paid.

Sometime in 2010/2011-ish I read about "Digital Voice" service and it was less expensive because the "phone taxes" I'd always paid were not charged with "Digital Voice". I looked into getting "Digital Voice" and was told that it was not available--I never did figure out why but I suspect it had to do with the fact that my phone number is different from my neighbors due to historically how long distance calls used to be charged (I live in the DC Metro area and with certain phone numbers, I would be charged a long distance/toll fee calling from VA to MD within the local metro area).

Anyway...sometime around 2012-ish, "Digital Voice" became an option and I was actually forced to switch from "Freedom Essentials" to "Digital Voice" when I changed from my double-play of phone and broadband to a triple-play of phone, broadband and tv. I was annoyed because while "Digital Voice" cost a bit less, it is essentially unregulated unlike "Freedom Essentials" so Verizon can do any damned thing is wants with no real oversight and...the differences in the actual day-to-day phone service itself is transparent to me so I didn't see the point of switching to "Digital Voice".

Not sure any of the above is useful and/or informative but hope that it might be...'-}}

"Freedom Essentials" is a POTs service plan. It's available to anyone with copper or "standard phone" over fiber. You could have switched to it when you had copper.

FDV has many more features than POTs. Some are very useful, some not so much. For example, I enjoy getting my voice mail through the web and email. The block list is handy, but with a limit of only 10 numbers it's not that useful.

Simultaneous ring, however, is very useful. I have it ring my cell phone, so people can find me whether I'm at home or not. Since I get better quality phone calls on the FDV line, I like using it over my cell when I'm at home. With this feature, I can give out one phone number and be reachable anywhere I am with the best quality phone line available to me.

Simultaneous ring can also be used with nomorobo.com, which is an excellent way to get rid of telemarketers. That alone makes FDV a big improvement over POTs in my book.

Enjoy.

>>gs0b: "Freedom Essentials" is a POTs service plan. It's available to anyone with copper or "standard phone" over fiber. You could have switched to it when you had copper.

Interesting...our complex was wired (fibered? '-}}) for FiOS in 2009 so that's the first time I heard about "FE".

The practical reality for me, personally, is that due to my hearing loss and difficulty with the phone (I use a special "captioned telephone"), I don't really use the phone and everyone I know knows that so they don't call me which means that pretty much any phone call I receive is a crap call and I never--extremely rarely--answer the phone when it rings...'-}}

That said, I'm very curious about "simultaneous ring" as I think my sister (lives in the building next door to me and hears just fine) might find it useful--using it the way you do. Can you tell me more about how it's set up and/or direct me to something about it online? Thanks...

Allow me to add a little more. Freedom Essentials on fiber is a FiOS service, and physically uses the same equipment. If you were to switch off of Freedom Essentials onto Digital Voice, you'd likely be paying much more because Verizon gave people who were forced off of copper a lower rate. You can however, with the equipment you're currently using for Freedom Essentials, subscribe to other FiOS services if you desired.

I had various "Freedom" packages, including "Essentials" when I had copper service. I know people today who have "Freedom Essentials" over copper. It's a regulated service that is part of the "standard phone" offerings from Verizon.

Enjoy.

Does that include "Simultaneous ring" ?

Simultaneous ring is only available with FiOS Digital Voice. It is not part of the regulated services, Freedom Essential's included.

In many cases bundling FDV with TV and/or internet does not result in a higher bill. This does vary depending on the deals you have now and what you can get. Your best bet is to check Verizon's web site or call them for your specific situation.

Enjoy.

Not true. Simultaneous ring (or Identaring) has been available for years before FDV was introduced.

Ident-a-ring is not simultaneous ring.

Ident-a-ring assigns different ring patterns to certain callers. As you've stated, it's been around for years. It started when the CLASS features were introduced as a result of the shift to electronic central office switches and signalling system number 7.

Simultaneous ring causes all inbound calls to ring on both the main line and any other selected phone number (such as a cell phone or nomorobo's servers) at the same time. First one to pick up the call gets it. Simultaneous ring is a feature of VoIP services. FDV is a VoIP service.

Simultaneous ring is not available on traditional phone lines.

Enjoy.

Yes, it's true that Freedom Essentials started out on copper, but it was later offered to FiOS customers. In these cases, it uses a FiOS ONT, and can be used with, or without other FiOS services.

Freedom Essentials is not a FiOS service, plain and simple. It is a regulated telephone service available both over copper and fiber. Verizon has other regulated telephone plans and they are all available over fiber; although one might have to twist their arm to get them.

The key point here, and the source of the OP's question, is that fiber does not mean FiOS. Again, FiOS is a group of services that run over fiber. "Standard Telephone" is a non-FiOS service that runs over fiber. I'm not aware of any other non-FiOS services on fiber, but one never knows what's hidden in Verizon's systems.

Verizon likes to bundle all FiOS services together. When I first switched to FiOS internet, I had "standard telephone" setup. When I added FiOS TV a couple of years later, Verizon told me I had to switch to FDV. I didn't argue, as I like the FDV services better than standard-phone and the cost didn't change. I suspect FDV wasn't available in my area when I first got internet, so that may be why I didn't get it to start with.

In most cases, as switch from standard phone to FDV shouldn't result in a rate increase. The best way to figure this out is to talk to Verizon.

Oh, I should also say I've been quite happy with FDV and I don't miss "Freedom Essentials" at all.

Enjoy.

Verizon's phone over fiber requires an ONT, whether it's Freedom Essentials or Fios Digital Voice. That's a Fios service. When I first signed up, I got the "Fios" Triple Play but the phone was Freedom Essentials, it was all still considered Fios. Fios stands for Fiber Optics. The phone plans may be taxed differently and offer different features, but it's still on the Fios Network.

Both services are on the fiber between your house and the CO, but Freedom Essentials was routed to and used the local switch, not the "FiOS Network" beyond the CO. FDV is a VoIP service so it does use the "network."

I thought Fios stood for Fiber Optic Subscriber?

"FiOS" is a brand name Verizon uses for data, television and telecommunication services that run on top of a fiber infrastructure. As a brand name, "FiOS" can mean anything Verizon wants it to be. Just like "Quantum," "MAXX," "Extreme," "Prime" and any other marketing moniker from the broadband companies.

The technical name for the fiber services that Verizon has deployed is a PON, or Passive Optical Network. Currently, there are two standardized PONs in use by Verizon. B-PON, which is is ATM based and supports speeds of 622Mbps down/ 155Mbps up; and G-PON with is Ethernet based and supports speeds of 2.4Gbps down / 1.2Gbps up. This page is a good place to start for more info on PONS:
»Verizon FiOS FAQ »What is BPON or GPON?

B-PON supports circuit switched voice service, otherwise known as standard telephone or POTs. This is a feature of it's ATM underpinnings. Off the top of my head, I don't recall if G-PON supports POTs.

"Freedom Essentials" is a Verizon brand name applied to a tarried, regulated telephone service. It is available anywhere circuit switched services are available, be that copper or B-PON.

Verizon does a good job of conflating FiOS with all fiber services, as they don't want to explain all these details to the masses.

Enjoy.