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The 'Verizon Hub'
Verizon One gets a facelift, but still POTS-centric

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Several years ago, Verizon unveiled "Verizon One," a device that integrated a DSL modem, 802.11g wireless router, 5.8 GHz cordless telephone and color touch screen into one product.

It acted as the convergence message center for Verizon's iObi service. While it won some awards for innovation, at least one journalist called it "one of the dumbest machines I've ever seen" because it continued to push dying Verizon POTS.

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Verizon has reincarnated the Verizon One as the "Verizon Hub." The new black unit integrates cordless phone, Wi-Fi and again clings to POTS (no VoIP as far as we can tell). Users can check their voicemail, manage their FiOSTV DVRs and even order a Pizza.

Early impressions seem positive:
quote:
"I love this thing. In brief, it’s a cordless-phone-plus-widget-station that lets you make calls, get news, weather and traffic, share photos and control your FiOS TV (Motorola) set-tops. There are plenty of things it doesn’t do, like let you surf the Web, but that’s what your computer is for. And with the Verizon Hub you won’t get distracted by all of the unread emails in your inbox when you just want to check traffic."
Chatter in our forums indicates that the new device should retail for around $260 (plus we assume some kind of monthly fee) and will be released in late August.
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ColorBASIC
8-bit Fun
Premium Member
join:2006-12-29
Corona, CA

3 edits

ColorBASIC

Premium Member

I'd like to see one...

If it's reasonably priced and doesn't require DSL (can just connect via LAN or wLAN) I'd try it, even with POTS. I'm currently using a Mac mini with Phone Valet as a family message center and it's way overkill. Looking at VZ's online tour it looks like it could be a nice family message hub. You can also answer the phone on an optional FiOS TV remote that doubles as a handset. Verizon site says it's a 1.9GHz phone?
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: I'd like to see one...

i think today people would be more accepting of a central control device, as now digital everything is more accepted as is home networking more a part of everyday life. the real icing on the cake would be if they had a way to link this in with your verizon wireless, so if you forgot to tell the DVR to record something you could use your moble and tell your FiOS DVR to record the show.

computerman0
join:2006-07-19
Houston, TX

computerman0

Member

Dam ATT country!

well I would get one if only I could get verizon. they look sweet but WTF is with this POTS obsession they have VOIP is where its at get on this stick verizon. ATT look FTTH works get on the stick to and use all voip.

odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL

odreian615

Member

Re: Dam ATT country!

I know one of my friends in Verizon had that I was kinda jealous

kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Annapolis, MD

kyler13

Member

VoIP

and again clings to POTS (no VoIP as far as we can tell).
Spend a week with VoiceWing and you'll understand why.

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: VoIP

I have heard Verizon's VoiceWing sucks goat unit...

The only rationale I can come up with for them keeping the phone side of it POTS is even with FiOS, POTS is the past, present, and future of Verizon's phone offering. ONT's are designed to integrate into the existing POTS wiring in customer's homes. So, I can kinda see the point of keeping the voice end of it POTS.

Since I'm on my work computer, I can't get the flash based demo on Verizon's web site to work.

I'm guessing the WiFi is used to push the data to it in FiOS connections, and it uses it's own built in DSL modem for DSL customers. That's just a guess.

It looks like a neat gadget, and I am a gadget junkie, but I would have to see one in action and play with it a LOT before I plunked down $250 for it. The weather feature would have to be more than just text, it would have to include animated radar and such.

I like the idea (someone mentioned earlier) of the TV remote doubling as a phone. I also like the idea of being able to control my DVR box with the gadget. This way, I wouldn't have to fire up my projection TV and surround sound receiver to schedule shows on my DVR.

Of course, that's not until I can get FiOS TV.....

Yeah, for $250, I would have to think long and hard before I bit....

kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Annapolis, MD

kyler13

Member

Re: VoIP

said by N3OGH:

ONT's are designed to integrate into the existing POTS wiring in customer's homes. So, I can kinda see the point of keeping the voice end of it POTS.
Well, you're talking about the limited households that get FIOS, and let me tell you that POTS via FIOS is alot more like telephone service over cable HSI (prioritized data stream). It's just that it's the telco and they get to call it POTS so the federal, state, and local governments get their money.

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

DrModem

Premium Member

That thing looks cool.

Yea, looks pretty hot.
jimbo21503
join:2004-05-10
Euclid, OH

jimbo21503

Member

Huh?

The new black unit integrates cordless phone, Wi-Fi and again clings to POTS (no VoIP as far as we can tell). Users can check their voicemail, manage their FiOSTV DVRs and even order a Pizza.
Isn't Verizon ridding of POTS as they deploy FiOS? So how is it that you can manage your FiOS TV DVR yet it requires a POTS line and no VoIP???

That dosn't make sense.
Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA

Ahrenl

Member

Re: Huh?

No.

POTS works over fiber as well.
jimbo21503
join:2004-05-10
Euclid, OH

jimbo21503

Member

Re: Huh?

In reply to Ahrenl and PGHammer... huh???

You cannot get an analog signal down a fiber optic line no matter how hard you try. It has to be converted to digital signal to travel though the fiber optics. Hence VoIP. Calling it POTS is misleading and implies old copper.

I have flat-rate unlimited local/long-distance now from the cable provider. It is over the cable line in a digital format. VoIP.

If my telco offered telephone service over their copper line but converted to digital and sent over the internet protocol... it's VoIP.

Calling it POTS is confusing when its clearly digital and VoIP.

PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD

PGHammer to jimbo21503

Member

to jimbo21503
It's basically *fiberized POTS*, but over fiber, not copper. And considering that typical VZ Freedom plans (which *includes* AYCE national long-distance, the most popular services such as call-waiting/forwarding/etc., and even inside line maintenance with most plans; try getting that from a VoIP provider!) are either bundled with, or upsold with, FIOS (single or dual-service; VZ Freedom is also heavily sold to copper customers) and costs little more than VoIP from the more reliable providers (including Packet8 and ViaTalk), unless you're a VZ hater, there's little incentive to leave VZ's POTS offerings.

VZ Freedom is the Diskeeper of POTS; basically flat-rate national unmetered phone service that even AT&T never offered when the Bell System was all a single piece! I don't know about you, but given worry-free unmetered POTS with no long-distance phone bill (the family makes no international calls; hence no long-distance bill whatever with Freedom), E911 (available from few VoIP providers), and almost all the services offered by VoIP providers, for little more than VoIP, why switch?

Slidetbone
Mazin Go
Premium Member
join:2002-11-10
Land O Lakes, FL

Slidetbone

Premium Member

Who cares if it clings to POTS?

Voip has it's limitations whether we want to admit to it or not. It will never match POTS. Better price? So what? Verizon is a telco and that is their business. Whatever!

I saw the Verizon One in action and I was incredibly impressed. The Verizon Hub will undoubtedly be more impressive, especially with Fios.

Titus
Mr Gradenko
join:2004-06-26

Titus

Member

Re: Who cares if it clings to POTS?

I can't see the rush to dump POTS. In all my years (too many to mention!) I've never picked up a phone and not heard a dialtone. It's hard to make the same claim about any IP based network.
--
“The enemy of idealism is zealotry.”
Light Guy
join:2006-05-12
Somerville, NJ

Light Guy

Member

Voip May Work

The Verizon One acted as the DSL router/modem so you plugged the phone/DSL line in with an rj11c plug. With Fios, dial tone will be separate from the LAN or WAN connection and should accept any dial tone that works with standard phones.