Internet phones

[REH]

Anyone using an internet phone service? I am thinking of dumping mine it is so expensive.

REH

[REH]

I should have said dumping my regular land line service. Telus

Richard

[lolaophidia]

The one thing I'll point out about using a broad band connection for a phone line is that when your power goes out, your broadband goes out too, unless both you and broadband provider have generators running 24/7. We had a hurricane here a couple of years ago that knocked out our power for 10 days. The land line was fine due to the battery back up and generators in the phone company central office keeping the line up. Something to keep in mind... Voice over IP is a great addition to a land line, but a land line is generally much more reliable (and in some ways, you pay for that).
P.S. I work for a phone company... but we offer voice over IP also, so I'm not knocking it.

[REH]

Thanks for the info

Richard

[hbwright]

I have internet phone and I love it. When we moved a year ago I had only one choice of a phone company and after 6 months of messing up my bill and overcharging me more then their normally very high prices I dropped them alltogether. We had them for phone, cable and internet and ditched them all for other companies. I pay 24.95 a month for all my calls and the extra services are included and since I technically live out of state from all my friends and family I was able to get a number with the same area code as before so nobody has to pay LD to call me. I've never had a problem with it. Yes, if the power does go out it leaves me without home phone but I have a cell phone anyway and the home phone does still take voice mail so I can check my messages from my cell phone if needed.

[Invictus]

I just signed up for an Internet phone, it's being installed on the 22nd. I can't wait! Free long distance in North America!!!!

[REH]

Thanks for the info sounds positive.

Invictus
Which company are you going with? Is it much trouble to hook up?

Richard

[Invictus]

Richard, I'm going with the Shaw digital phone. It's currently only available in Calgary. Your profile says Alberta, but I don't know if you're in Cowtown or not...

Anyway, it's no trouble for them to hook up at all. Apparently they just install a digital phone box right by your main electrical panel, and that's it! I'm even keeping the same phone number.

[Siretsap]

We are using internet phone. We are with videotron and are quite satisfied with it.

Pros, is the low cost, and with videotron, for 4$ more a month you have unlimited long distance calls anywhere in your region (quebec, ontario...). Also, if someone else is using a internet phone, there are no long distance charges (even if it's in the us).

Cons: Sometimes when you answer the phone, you can hear a noise for 1 or 2 seconds before the line connects with the caller. If there is a power failure you have a 10 hour autonomi on the phone line. (kinda sucks if you have a long period of power failure).

[REH]

Invictus
I am in Black Diamond just south of the city.

I am definately going to cosider it as Telus is so expensive. Maybe primus.

Richard

[Shad0w]

Well, I work for a large communications company (Rogers) that is about to roll out VoIP based telephone service over a broadband connection and have been very involved in the setup and operational processes... lets clarify one thing here...

Companies like Rogers and Shaw are not really internet phones... They are using an IP network for voice but they are doing FULL QOS (quality of service) on VoIP traffic right to the PSTN's (public switched telephone network)... so voice does not traverse the internet at all!.... Thus.. MUCH more reliable! There is a HUGE difference between this and an internet phone like vonage or primus. With internet phones you cant control anything.. you are at the mercy of downstream providers.

With Rogers and Shaw, it might appear to be an internet phone because the EMTA (enhanced Media terminal adapter aka docsis modem with a voip / telephone interface)) is using the same cable as your broadband internet, but I can assure you, its seperate in every way (I wont get into the specifics how unless people ask).

Oh and how are powering problems being worked out? Well, yes... all backbone equipment is on backup, and the EMTA's (that go in a customers house also contain a battery backup)

SO... if ya wanna know anything else about this technology.. just gimme a shout :D

Oh and Rogers will be offering this service to the general public come Canada Day (our official launch date)

[Invictus]

Shadow - with Shaw, it's on a completely separate network - it does not share bandwidth with the internet traffic at all. Is Rogers segregating their network as well?

[t-dot]

i got free phone internet sevice programs give me a shout on msn thedarknite@hotmail.com

[Shad0w]

Hey Ken,

Yes we are, physically its the same network, with both Rogers and Shaw, ie: same copper, same fiber, how we segregate the traffic on the copper is the hi speed and phone services are on different channels (5 mhz frequencies), so they do not compete for bandwidth, also the EMTA's for phone service will be talking to different headend modems than what the internet service talks to, also, unlike the internet service, the headend modems for phone service have backup upstream cards, so that if an upstream card fails, an RF switch throws all phone traffic on to backup upstream cards.... then we segregate the traffic along the backbone across multiple vlans... and the digital phone vlan has full QOS, in other words.. when u wanna make a call... bandwidth is guarenteed to your modem.