  JahsDiscipleLiving my life like it's goldenPremium
join:2007-07-07
Baltimore, MD
kudos:1 | good idea good idea, why is Jamaica never covered? | |
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 |  AlcoholPremium
join:2003-05-26
Climax, MI
kudos:3 | Re: good idea They should follow cablevision and do a "call anywhere in the world" - 250 minutes for $19.99. | |
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| tlcbob
join:2001-07-11
Harrisburg, PA | From what I have been told, the Jamaicin gov't calls the shots in everything; airlines, services, etc. | |
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| | JahsDiscipleLiving my life like it's goldenPremium
join:2007-07-07
Baltimore, MD
kudos:1 | Re: good idea said by tlcbob:From what I have been told, the Jamaicin gov't calls the shots in everything; airlines, services, etc. i always wondered that.
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"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
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| | | | | Re: good idea I can load up my magicjack account for .02 a min to make over seas calls when I need to. Monthly phone bills are a thing of the past for me! I love it! Same features as
Comcast overpriced service, without all the expense.
I'll never switch back! | |
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| | | |  fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA | Re: good idea said by CDVSuckss :
I can load up my magicjack account for .02 a min to make over seas calls when I need to. Monthly phone bills are a thing of the past for me! I love it! Same features as
Comcast overpriced service, without all the expense.
I'll never switch back!
Exactly, and now magicJack's international calls are handled exclusively by AT&T. I can call China via magicJack for $0.02/min, which would be hard to duplicate even on a calling card and some of those calling cards are far less reliable. So far crystal clear calls without a problem.
I look for Comcast to start trying to block magicJack in some way.
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***************
I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that the only form of life we have created so far is purely destructive. We've created life in our own image.
- Stephen Hawking | |
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| | | | | | Yea..try and call 911 with that. | |
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 BK
join:2001-09-10
Wheaton, IL | not bad seems pretty reasonable pricing too | |
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|  nekoAll Hail CanadaPremium
join:2006-08-11
Canada
 ·TekSavvy DSL
| Re: not bad said by BK:seems pretty reasonable pricing too 0.05 cents a minute to the UK? No way is that good pricing; I currently pay 0.009 cents per minute. ISP's pricing of VOIP is way too expensive. Independant VOIP providers FTW.
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...virtue gives you heraldry. | |
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| |  MadMANNPremium
join:2005-08-19
kudos:2 | Re: not bad said by neko:Independant VOIP providers FTW. As long as you don't mind your calls traveling over the public internet. | |
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| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Stop comparing everything to these internet phone companies as they are not in the same league. Even Karl needs to stop calling Comcast & Time Warner's phone service "voip phone" because it is to imply that it's the same as Vonage and the rest which are completely a different class of phone service.
I don't agree that it is too expensive at $0.05 cents per minute for an "international" call to another country. If you want to place your entire home phone service in the hand of a company that can't even guarantee your calls can be placed (ie, they have no control over the very conduit in which your phone service is ABLE to exist; the net connection) then you go right ahead and enjoy those un-realistic savings. Also enjoy the unreliability and unpredictability of 3rd rate phone carriers.
It costs real money to provide services. Every day someone or some people post how they get something for little to nothing or want it for little to nothing. Not everything can be cheap or free and actually be expected to last.
If we got everything unrealistically cheap or free, then why work more than an hour a day? Why have a job at all? Why not just collect welfare. Or, is that job we all have so we can have "things" and not worry about the basics in life.
So.. I disagree that it's not good pricing. If you knew much about the reality of international calling prices, then $0.05 per minute is a good price. | |
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| | | | | Re: not bad said by fiberguy:Stop comparing everything to these internet phone companies as they are not in the same league. You don't work for Verizon, perchance? | |
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| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: not bad OMG.. I have an opinion that is not popular and I must work for one.
So far I work for Comcast, Cox, Qwest, ATT, Time Warner, and NOW.. drum roll, Verizon.. which of all of those above is my least favorite.
No. | |
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| | | nekoAll Hail CanadaPremium
join:2006-08-11
Canada Reviews:
·TekSavvy DSL
| said by fiberguy:...then you go right ahead and enjoy those un-realistic savings. Also enjoy the unreliability and unpredictability of 3rd rate phone carriers. The savings I get are not unrealistic; they are very real. I also get great service - It's not shoddy, third rate, or poor. It's reliable, good quality & great value for money. I certainly will go right ahead & continue to enjoy the services I use.
There are many people who use Asterisk & enjoy a professional level voice service, with third party VOIP providers. Why shouldn't they have the choice over which company gets their dollars? Would you rather I pay inflated prices from the incumbent ISP's for VOIP service?
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...virtue gives you heraldry. | |
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| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: not bad didn't tell you that you couldn't use it. BUT, you, if I recall, made a statement that it was not a good price at 5 cents a minute.
The problem is that, while it works for you, 3rd rate voip providers are not a reliable service and most Americans aren't using it yet. Cheaper service, cheaper rates. | |
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 Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4
1 edit |  One gotcha in the offer
provides Comcast Digital Voice customers with 100 minutes to call landline phones Since so many users in other countries(up to 50% in many places) are now cell phone only, this feature of the offering really limits the value of the program.
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My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
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| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: One gotcha in the offer True, however, these other providers that provide service for either "included at no additional charge" (ie: Vonage) and most like this alleged "$0.009 cents per minute" plan as stated a few messages above, too, are also to land line customers as well. (the .009 per minute, I have no clue because they were too busy ripping a 5 cent plan with their .009 cent plan they forgot to mention they company they get it from)
Like I said above.. real prices for real services. Gimmicks always come back to bite people in the ass. | |
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1 edit | said by Romney2012:provides Comcast Digital Voice customers with 100 minutes to call landline phones Since so many users in other countries(up to 50% in many places) are now cell phone only, this feature of the offering really limits the value of the program. But it costs around 20 to 50 cents per minute to call cell phones locally in many countries so there's no way they can offer that service at that price if it included cell phones. | |
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 DogfatherPremium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
1 edit | Telcos need to get a clue That the solution to their POTS bleeding isn't charging more for stupid crap like $7.50 for Caller ID, $1.50 to stay out of the phone book and "you didn't use enough long distance" fees.
But that will never happen and they'll continue to lose customers...deservedly so. | |
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|  Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA
1 edit | Re: Telcos need to get a clue the "stay out of book fee" is charged by the company that owns local phone book not the phone provider and the charges are passed on as it is the person requesting it not the provider. | |
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| | DogfatherPremium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA | Re: Telcos need to get a clue It's not their business to put my private information in their book. And in my area, the local telcos print their own books.
If not for the telco turning over the information, they wouldn't have it.
They charge it for one simple reason, it's desirable and people are WILLING to pay it. | |
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| | | Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA | Re: Telcos need to get a clue well in all fairness the number isnt your private information, it is owned by the company not you, you are leasing it, so yes they can put it in the local phone book. If you opt out then it will be charged. | |
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| | | | DogfatherPremium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
1 edit | Re: Telcos need to get a clue said by Ebolla:well in all fairness the number isnt your private information, it is owned by the company not you, you are leasing it, so yes they can put it in the local phone book. If you opt out then it will be charged. The number is theirs. The name and address are mine. They charge 'cause they can. They sell your name and number for profit and you have to pay to opt out. It sucks and it's part of the reason why telcos are losing subs hand over fist to competitors. | |
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| | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Telcos need to get a clue Hey hey! We agree!
What that $1.50, in some cases $2.95 for private number, (435.40 annual) is really getting people is a little check box in a database somewhere so when reports are generated, the information isn't included in the book and/or online.
This has GOT to be one of THE most expensive stored bits of data ever sold.
This is guaranteed income. If they don't get it from the book publishers, they are going to get it from you, and, it's likely they are getting more from the user than they are the publisher.
Even worse, they charge per line, not per billing customer. I have 4 lines in my home, and it costs me $11.80 a month and $140.60 a year to own my privacy.
Personally, I'd like to see the phone books done away with all together. If people want to be in them, they can pay for them. Otherwise, maybe go all online. And, for those people that don't have internet, then they can pay for access to 411.
Tree-huggers should love this idea.. just think of how much "carbon footprint" these phone books put out each and every year. The number of trees it takes, the process of the factories to make the paper, to deliver the books, pick them up, those not even used, and then to recycle these things. I HONESTLY can't think of that many people that I know that USED to use the white pages who still do today. I for one haven't picked up a white page book in over 10 years. | |
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| | | | | | EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA | Re: Telcos need to get a clue Look at the stock of IAR (Idearc Media, Verizon's yellow-page spinoff)- down over 93% since it was split off... Those yellow pages may be gone soon enough. | |
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| | | | | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Telcos need to get a clue I think they should all go.. the internet is a viable resource.. HOWEVER, the yellow pages are pretty much supported by the advertisers themselves and still do serve a pretty good purpose. Still, however, they ARE a big waste of resources AND they can easily out-date. | |
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| | | | | | | | | Yellow Pages do seem less and less relevant. In my area, we have the Idearc (Verizon) Yellow Pages, and their competitor YellowBook.
What I have seen is that many people no longer pick up the books off their lawns and take them into the house! They just leave the Yellow Pages book on the grass and let it decompose.
I feel torn about this. On one hand, I am actually a Yellow Pages advertiser, so I am upset. On the other hand, I hate Verizon and Idearc, so I reluctantly admit to a little pleasure.
No surprise that Idearc stock is way down since spinoff from Verizon. Here's what some of those smart executives and MBA types failed to realize:
1) Of course, the most obvious point, why bother with the Yellow Pages when you can Google?
2) Idearc is such an awful name. How can these people be trusted for advice on advertising when that's the best name they could come up with?!
3) Idearc has been having lots of trouble getting people to pay their Yellow Pages advertising bills. Here's why:
a) Before the split from Verizon, Yellow Pages advertising charges were billed on the monthly phone bill. People paid the bill because they were afraid not to. Now, with separate billing, there is no big fear associated with delaying payments to "Idearc", especially in a poor economy, and especially because the bills arrive after the books are already printed and distributed.
b) Likewise, when YP charges were just a part of the Verizon phone bill, businesses never looked at them very much. NOW, with a separate Idearc bill each month, businesses look at that bill and say WOW! WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR THOSE YELLOW PAGES ADS EACH MONTH!
Am I wrong about this? It is hard for me to believe that so many big-shot executives did not see this coming. | |
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| | | CorydonCultivant son jardinPremium
join:2008-02-18
Denver, CO | Actually I believe that the telcos still collect and turn over your directory listing information even if you're unlisted. They just flag it as unlisted. Collecting the information is necessary because it's used for other purposes besides directories (like E911).
As far as I'm aware, every landline provider, including VoIP providers charge extra to keep you out of the directory.
That tells me that, unlike calling features like Caller ID, this really is a charge that a third party (the maintainer and publisher of the directory) is passing back to the telco.
And if you think about it, it does make sense for the directory publishers to give you an incentive to leave your number in the phone book: if large numbers of people starting getting unlisted numbers then the directories would become useless.
Also, FWIW, I believe that all of the ILECs have spun off their phone directory services. They may still share the same name, but they're separate companies.
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"Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea." | |
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| | | | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Telcos need to get a clue The white pages ARE useless. The data should go online only, or through a user subsidized service such as 411 where they can pay the 25 or 50 cents per call if they can't use the internet. (The internet, you know, that thing that everyone needs so badly and wants to throw the kitchen sink at?  )
If it went purely online then the cost to operate the site should become reasonable, right? I mean, AnyWho, Dexonline, and other directories on line look up white pages for free, right? AND, the data there should be MORE up-to-date than a white page book that can be outdated before it's even printed.
The fact is that people move so much, change numbers, etc these days more than in the past when the books started.
Maybe it's time to evolve. | |
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| | | One of the reasons I quickly moved off of POTS once I moved west and had to deal with a large, east coast based company that services as the RLEC here is that they charged much more than Verizon did back in DC, plus after paying more monthly for a private, non-published phone number, I started getting more calls from telemarketers than I did back east. Now I know that telemarketers can get phone data from multiple sources, but I asked one of the local vendors who called how they got the phone number--the caller claimed it was from the very RLEC I was paying extra money to not to publish my phone number. | |
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| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Telcos need to get a clue The day AFTER I got my Comcast native line, I was already getting solicitation calls BY NAME and that number was private. THIS solicitor even told me that they get lists from phone companies and mentioned comcast by name.
SHAME! | |
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| | Yeah Right Read the fine print in the press release: to LANDLINE phone only.
Since most people in other countries (and ours) primarily use CELL PHONES, this entire promotion is a joke.
Nothing beats POTS and 10-10 dial around numbers. Can't beat that reliability and clarity. | |
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| CorydonCultivant son jardinPremium
join:2008-02-18
Denver, CO | Re: Yeah Right said by DJ_Kismuth:Read the fine print in the press release: to LANDLINE phone only. Since most people in other countries (and ours) primarily use CELL PHONES, this entire promotion is a joke. Nothing beats POTS and 10-10 dial around numbers. Can't beat that reliability and clarity. That's because in many countries, the calling party is charged extra to call a cell phone, unlike in the US where there's no distinction between calling a landline and calling a mobile.
You'll find that your long distance plan on your POTS phone probably has different per minute charges to many countries depending on whether you're calling a landline or a mobile, even if you use a 10-10 service.
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"Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea." | |
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|  PhonePowerPremium
join:2007-07-20
Winnetka, CA
kudos:1
1 edit | Considering 10-10 dial around numbers (and many POTS long distance calls as well) are usually VoIP, I think you're lulling yourself into thinking you're getting "POTS quality". The reality is that VoIP is clear enough that you can't notice any difference.
said by DJ_Kismuth:Read the fine print in the press release: to LANDLINE phone only. Since most people in other countries (and ours) primarily use CELL PHONES, this entire promotion is a joke. Nothing beats POTS and 10-10 dial around numbers. Can't beat that reliability and clarity. | |
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 sansri88digital is herePremium
join:2005-12-17
New York, NY
kudos:1
 ·Comcast
| Doh! No India...
Anyway, anyone see this part of the press release?
quote:
In addition to low-cost international calling plans, Comcast Digital Voice customers can benefit from a number of major enhancements, which will be integrated with Comcast’s video and high-speed Internet services and set to become available this year, including:
# Universal Caller ID - customers can view caller information on their phone, TV and PC.
About time we see Caller ID on TV.
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Sriram Satish
Comcast of NJ II sucks. Period.
25 HD channels compared to the average 32 or so. | |
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See 13 replies to this post |
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 DaveDudeNo Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
kudos:1 | Will it take only 2 or 3 appointments ? Alright thats great, but after you schedule the appointment will the tech actually come to install the equipment ? | |
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|  jester121Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
 ·voip.ms
| Re: Will it take only 2 or 3 appointments ? In the interest of full time Comcast bashing, let's go ahead and mention that the contractor may kill a kid in the neighborhood driving drunk, light your garage on fire, or get hit by a hammer wielding granny.
Or, maybe they'll show up and install everything and it will work. Who knows!
Waiting for someone to mention that the service has caps.... | |
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| | fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Will it take only 2 or 3 appointments ? .. don't forget falling asleep on the couch and raping you. MAYBE if you're lucky and you're kid is drowning, they'll save it too.
Love your post. | |
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 La LunaSurvived AshrafulPremium
join:2001-07-12
Warwick, NY
kudos:3
·Vonage
·Optimum Online
| Vonage Vonage has FREE UNLIMITED calling to five European countries (the UK, Spain, Ireland, Italy and France) and Puerto Rico and Canada included with their Residential Unlimted plan. Landline, but most people have a landline in addition to a cell phone (those I call have both).
They also have unlimited plans for other international countries with different rates applied per month depending on which countries.
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11,347 DEADLY TERROR ATTACKS SINCE 9/11~~SARAH BRIGHTMAN SYMPHONY WORLD TOUR | |
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| fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | Re: Vonage said by La Luna: Landline, but most people have a landline in addition to a cell phone (those I call have both). You need to spend some time researching those statistics that deal with the countries in a whole and not just those you know. | |
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 bencPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter
| I'm NOT impressed These plans are for only 100 minutes of talking in a month. After that, any minutes are charged at the regular international rates. The rates, by the way, are similar to that of AT&T.
What would impress me would have been unlimited calling to some foreign countries. | |
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Ricci
join:2001-11-04
Tampa, FL | Too expensive. They are charging 10c/min for Brazil. I pay 2c/min.
This is a joke. | |
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nitzanPremium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
kudos:2 |  Comcast, yet again, prove they suck.
As a Comcrap customer (read: I'm not biased), I must say they suck. I've had cable and internet from them for a while, and let me tell you, it's been a trip... you can read my review/horror story...
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Nitzan Kon, CEO
Future Nine Corporation | |
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See 6 replies to this post |
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 RRMANPremium
join:2007-04-02
Cleveland, OH | Learn what VOIP means It would be real nice if someone could teach Broadband reports what VOIP means..
THIS IS NOT VOIP
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Two people shorten a road. | |
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|  AVDRespice, Adspice, ProspicePremium
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ
2 edits | Re: Learn what VOIP means Its a digital phone, agreed. But is there a difference between internet protocol and applications that run on the Internet.
I think VOIP doesn't mean what it says. | |
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| | NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH: If you don't like what comcast charges for their services, don't sign up for them. Yes, there are cheaper VoIP services, but do they provide you with E911 that'll actually route your call to your cities 911 center? I didn't think so *cough* Vonage *cough*. Does comcast "alienize" your voice when the internet gets bogged down? No, their calls are routed priority over everything else on the network. Do other companies provide international calling that doesn't have latency so bad that it sounds like you're using tuna cans and string? Maybe, good luck finding one that has decent E911 and doesn't "alienize" your voice in the process though. I'm charged 8 cents a minute to call a landline in the Netherlands on CDV. NOW, with a quick jaunt over to Qwest's website, they want several DOLLARS a minute to connect the same call. Yes, calling european mobiles is about 20 cents on the average more expensive, BUT that is charged to OUR phone carriers from the the european carriers because the european mobile companies do not charge for incoming calls (AT&T Mobility could take a few lessons from them!). End of rant. | |
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