VoIP aka “Talkbroadband”

[Gerald]

You may have heard of this but not sure what it is.
VoIP is "Voice Over Internet Protocol", which basically is using your high speed Internet as a phone line.

Why?
Because you can save a ton of cash depending on how you use your phone.
One company that offers this is Vonage.
For $19.99 a month you get:
Voicemail, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID with name, and many more features.
Plus you get 500 minutes to call anywhere in Canada and the US.
Plus you can travel with your phone. If you live in Toronto and travel to British Columbia, you can plug into a high-speed internet connection and use your phone like you were still in Toronto.
If you live in London, you can get a Toronto area code so anyone calling you from Toronto would be making a “local” call.
If someone in Texas uses the same system, all calls are FREE.
Even if you move to another city, you have your phone number for as long as you use the service no matter where you move to.

Along with Vonage, other companies to offer this include Bell Canada, Rogers and Primus.

[Sinner]

But how does it work?

What equipment do you need?

[BSR]

I think next spring will be a better time to make decisions like this. Once the Local Number Portability takes place in Canada (known as LNP) it will enable anyone to switch wireless carriers or landline providers, and keep their phone number.

But Vonage is a good deal for what you get. Although I have heard that there are certain areas that you cannot use the service, or place calls to (internationally). You can check their site: www.vonage.ca

[Gerald]

It works just like a regular phone.
You need a router and special adapter that plugs into your high-speed internet. Then you just plug your phone into the adapter.
Since wiring goes from internet to adapter to phone, it's better to hook it up to cordless phone system.
Staples Business Depot sells all the equipment for Vonage and have a package that includes cordless phone.
Linksys has teamed up with Vonage to tie everything together.

It's still a new concept, but does open the door to new phone system providers like Vonage.

Now we just need a good digital TV system broadcast over the Internet.
Although I'm sure the CTRC would be shitting their pants if we started getting direct feeds from the states avoiding manditory Canadian content rules currently in place. lol

[Wes]

Originally Posted by BSR

I think next spring will be a better time to make decisions like this. Once the Local Number Portability takes place in Canada (known as LNP) it will enable anyone to switch wireless carriers or landline providers, and keep their phone number.

Rogers is offering landline service now and you can keep current phone number and jacks. However I am weary of how well phone service works.. if you have a storm, and lose tv reception cause cable is out, will you lose phone service as well? Plus if you do switch over, you are on a 2 yr contract, so will be stuck with them for the 2 yrs.

My ISP has this notice on their home page:

Notice: Odynet is now offering Residential DSL service to customers
who do not have or want a voice service from the phone company.
Great for anybody using Cell or VOIP services!!!
Call or e-mail us for details.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Wes

Rogers is offering landline service now and you can keep current phone number and jacks. However I am weary of how well phone service works.. if you have a storm, and lose tv reception cause cable is out, will you lose phone service as well? Plus if you do switch over, you are on a 2 yr contract, so will be stuck with them for the 2 yrs.

My ISP has this notice on their home page:

Notice: Odynet is now offering Residential DSL service to customers
who do not have or want a voice service from the phone company.
Great for anybody using Cell or VOIP services!!!
Call or e-mail us for details.

Rogers bought Sprint Canada, so that service still uses Bell phone lines. That's why they don't really push the VoIP service.
Yes, if you lose cable/Internet you lose phone service as well. Something any DSL user wouldn't have to worry about.
I have no idea what "Cell" services have to do with DSL though.

Toronto is currently working on a system to provide wireless Internet to an area of the city.
Eventually, we'll have transmission towers everywhere providing wireless Internet, Telephone and TV allowing any licensed company to be a provider.
Buy yourself a nice tall apartment building. Good money in renting out roof space to transmission towers.

[Wes]

Originally Posted by Gerald

Rogers bought Sprint Canada, so that service still uses Bell phone lines.

I know someone that switched over to Rogers for landline phone service, and they said it comes through the actual cable and goes to a modem, then to the phones in your house.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by Wes

I know someone that switched over to Rogers for landline phone service, and they said it comes through the actual cable and goes to a modem, then to the phones in your house.

Yes, that's VoIP which Rogers also offers. Not the same as their landline service which uses the phone lines.

[techguru]

I don't make many long distance calls but make quite a few international calls. I have been using it for a long time (about a year now) for international calls. I got myself a local number for the city my family lives in back home. It is a local call to them and a local call to me as per my home country's local rates. After conversion it comes down to about 1 cent per minute for Pakistan if I call and free (to me) if they call. Woohooo.

[techguru]

Originally Posted by Wes

I know someone that switched over to Rogers for landline phone service, and they said it comes through the actual cable and goes to a modem, then to the phones in your house.

You don't necessarily need a cable internet or regular DSL. You can get Dry DSL and get VOIP on that. That way, you can get rid of your land line altogether. Following are a couple of the service providers for Dry Internet in Ontario:
http://www.pppoe.ca/drydsl.asp?id=275&pic=no
http://www.teksavvy.com/resdrydsl.htm