Comments on: Save More with Cable Phone http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/ Technology & Telecommunications Policy Discussion Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:03:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: The Truth http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-306 The Truth Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:25:01 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-306 I agree that the cable companies are too high and so is Vonage for what you're paying for. We use TrinitiComm (http://www.triniticomm.com) and their price is lower, phone service is better, service/support is better and we get more stuff for free that matters like unlimited calls to certain countries in Europe or Asia. Oh, and they don't lock their adapters like Vonage did mine, which is nuts. Provide a great quality service and your customers won't leave. You don't have to strong arm them especially when they paid for the device. I use them for both my business and personal phones and they are absolutely phenomenal. These guys are doing it right and you will be hearing a lot more about them. I agree that the cable companies are too high and so is Vonage for what you’re paying for. We use TrinitiComm (http://www.triniticomm.com) and their price is lower, phone service is better, service/support is better and we get more stuff for free that matters like unlimited calls to certain countries in Europe or Asia. Oh, and they don’t lock their adapters like Vonage did mine, which is nuts. Provide a great quality service and your customers won’t leave. You don’t have to strong arm them especially when they paid for the device. I use them for both my business and personal phones and they are absolutely phenomenal. These guys are doing it right and you will be hearing a lot more about them.

]]> By: Michael Turk http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-209 Michael Turk Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:33:47 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-209 Michael - Reread my reply. The difference is carriage of your VOIP call over a private network with guaranteed quality versus carriage over the public Internet. That private network costs money to build and maintain, but it ensures a better product. Is it worth the extra $20? Well, that's up to you to decide. Michael -

Reread my reply. The difference is carriage of your VOIP call over a private network with guaranteed quality versus carriage over the public Internet. That private network costs money to build and maintain, but it ensures a better product.

Is it worth the extra $20? Well, that’s up to you to decide.

]]> By: Michael http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-202 Michael Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:08:57 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-202 Cable-provided VoIP is still too expensive. Why does Comcast charge ~$40/mo for essentially the same service other providers provide for 1/2 the amount or even far less? E911 service cannot possibly cost $20/month/subscriber to provide. Cable-provided VoIP is still too expensive. Why does Comcast charge ~$40/mo for essentially the same service other providers provide for 1/2 the amount or even far less?

E911 service cannot possibly cost $20/month/subscriber to provide.

]]> By: Bentley http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-198 Bentley Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:12:50 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-198 If you have your address registered with Vonage it isn't a problem. It's your responsibility to do so. Once you do your address is in their database. Plus it allows forwarding to my cell phone in the case my internet connection goes down. I can combine voicemail's with email here: https://secure.click2callu.com/. I can also check my voicemail from the internet. The only reason I wouldn't get good voice quality on my VOIP is because my provider would be throttling it. I've never had problems with voice quality, but unless they are doing QOS to prioritize their own VOIP packets over Vonage then it's not an issue. If you have your address registered with Vonage it isn’t a problem. It’s your responsibility to do so. Once you do your address is in their database. Plus it allows forwarding to my cell phone in the case my internet connection goes down.

I can combine voicemail’s with email here:
https://secure.click2callu.com/. I can also check my voicemail from the internet.

The only reason I wouldn’t get good voice quality on my VOIP is because my provider would be throttling it. I’ve never had problems with voice quality, but unless they are doing QOS to prioritize their own VOIP packets over Vonage then it’s not an issue.

]]> By: Michael Turk http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-196 Michael Turk Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:34:07 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-196 Vonage is choice for some people and it's good to hear your happy with it. The principal difference is piece of mind. With cable's VOIP, your calls are routed across cable's private network, which allows us to provide a quality of service that you may not get if you're not using facilities-based VOIP. Vonage routes all your calls across the public Internet. In addition, cable VOIP provides E911 services that can pass your location along with your call should you need emergency services. Vonage provides E911 only if you happen to be calling from your registered address. Given one relative advantage of Vonage is the phone portability, you may be calling 911 from a location that's not your home. If you're unable to speak, or don't know your address during an emergency, that could be a problem - <a href="http://www.vonage.com/features.php?feature=911&lid=footer_911&refer_id=WEBDI0706010001W1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">something even Vonage's website points out</a>: <blockquote>With basic 911, the local emergency operator answering the call will not have your call back number or your exact location, so you must be prepared to give them this information. Until you give the operator your phone number, he/she may not be able to call you back or dispatch help if the call is not completed or is not forwarded, is dropped or disconnected, or if you are unable to speak.</blockquote> Finally, the advantage to the bundle of cable, phone and Internet is the possibilities of a unified platform for calls, e-mail, and remote programming of your DVR - something Comcast announced at CES this year. <blockquote>[C]ustomers will be able to use the SmartZone Communications Center to send and receive email, check, manage and even forward voicemails from any PC, manage a single address book that ties them all together, and in the future, remotely program their DVRs.</blockquote> Vonage is choice for some people and it’s good to hear your happy with it. The principal difference is piece of mind. With cable’s VOIP, your calls are routed across cable’s private network, which allows us to provide a quality of service that you may not get if you’re not using facilities-based VOIP. Vonage routes all your calls across the public Internet.

In addition, cable VOIP provides E911 services that can pass your location along with your call should you need emergency services. Vonage provides E911 only if you happen to be calling from your registered address. Given one relative advantage of Vonage is the phone portability, you may be calling 911 from a location that’s not your home. If you’re unable to speak, or don’t know your address during an emergency, that could be a problem - something even Vonage’s website points out:

With basic 911, the local emergency operator answering the call will not have your call back number or your exact location, so you must be prepared to give them this information. Until you give the operator your phone number, he/she may not be able to call you back or dispatch help if the call is not completed or is not forwarded, is dropped or disconnected, or if you are unable to speak.

Finally, the advantage to the bundle of cable, phone and Internet is the possibilities of a unified platform for calls, e-mail, and remote programming of your DVR - something Comcast announced at CES this year.

[C]ustomers will be able to use the SmartZone Communications Center to send and receive email, check, manage and even forward voicemails from any PC, manage a single address book that ties them all together, and in the future, remotely program their DVRs.

]]> By: Bentley http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-192 Bentley Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:53:43 +0000 http://www.cabletechtalk.com/technology-showcase/2008/04/07/save-more-with-cable-phone/#comment-192 Most phone prices with the cable companies are still to high. I pay 25 a month with Vonage, can call my relatives in the UK and Canada for free and I couldn't be happier. Of course I'd look into another option if I had some. Unfortunately all I have is Comcast for VOIP and I am not pleased with the TV/Internet service anyway, so there is no way I'll give them extra money for phone service. If and when cable companies can match other VOIP providers like Vonage/Viatalk I might try it out, until then...no way. Most phone prices with the cable companies are still to high. I pay 25 a month with Vonage, can call my relatives in the UK and Canada for free and I couldn’t be happier. Of course I’d look into another option if I had some. Unfortunately all I have is Comcast for VOIP and I am not pleased with the TV/Internet service anyway, so there is no way I’ll give them extra money for phone service.

If and when cable companies can match other VOIP providers like Vonage/Viatalk I might try it out, until then…no way.

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