In an attempt to try to cut costs around here, dh and I are looking at other options for high speed internet....one of the options that we have is Clearwire..they also have internet based phone service. If we were to do both our DSL and our Phone through them, we'd be saving $60 a month on what we are paying AT&T/SBC. BUT we don't want to lose the quality of telephone clarity...we DO NOT want a cell phone quality clarity! We want land-line clarity. Does anyone have experience with the internet based phone services? Can any of you share your experiences either personal or someone you know?

Would love to hear other people's experiences with internet phone service, as well as Clearwire DSL.

Thanks!

quote:

...My cell phone has always been very clear and reliable...

Ditto. I still <gasp!> have a dial-up Internet connection.

It's tempting to try "naked DSL", and use a cell phone for all voice calls.

I haven't even been tempted to try it. My internet service has been so iffy thru Comcast that I certainly don't want to depend on them for my phone service.

My cell phone has always been very clear and reliable. Since I live with my parents most people who call me use my cell phone instead of their land line phone.

I would think reliability & customer service would differ from one system & region to another so I would suggest trying to talk to people in your area who use the service you are considering.

We switched to Brighthouse (formerly Roadrunner) phone service, and like you, saved a good chunk of money (it's now our internet, phone, and cable). As mentioned, the only time we have trouble is when EVERYTHING Brighthouse has trouble. It's clear as a land line (actually, clearer for us, since the land lines inside the house were run in the 1960s), and came with "extras" we never wanted to pay for with the regular phone service--call waiting, caller ID, and voice mail. We used to use our cell phones for everything (we live in a different area code than where we work, so each call to work on our land line cost us $.25, both of our families are long-distance calls); last month we moved to a smaller minutes package on our cell phone because we've started using the house phone for most of our long-distance calling.

Be sure that your provider's service has reverse 911 (where if you dial 911, they can see your address at the dispatch center) if that's important to you. Not all of them offer it. Here's a Consumer Reports breakdown from January 2006, to give you an idea of costs (all of them cover U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada):

AT&T CallVantage: unlimited calling plan $30/mo; limited calling plan is $20/mo for unlimited local calls, 4cents/min for long-distance; free voice mail; $5/mo for additional numbers; through cable or DSL; available nationwide; $30 activation fee; no termination fee if canceled within 30 days or after 1 yr; do-it-yourself installation

Optimum Voice: unlimited $35/mo; no limited plan; free voice mail; additional numbers not available; cable (no DSL); available in NY, NJ, CT; no activation fee, no termination fee; company installation

Time Warner (Brighthouse): unlimited $40/mo; no limited calling plan; voice mail $3.95/mo; additional numbers not available; cable (no DSL); in various markets through 27 states; no activation fee, no termination fee; company installation

Verizon VoiceWing: unlimited $35/mo; limited calling plan $20/mo for 500 min, 4cents/min for extra time; free voice mail; additional numbers $8/mo; cable or DSL; available nationwide; $40 activation fee if you order by phone, no activation fee for online orders; no termination fee if canceled within 30 days or after 1 yr, otherwise $20; do-it-yourself installation

Vonage: unlimited $25/mo; limited calling plan $15/500 min, 3.9cents/min for extra time; free voice mail; additional numbers $5/mo; cable or DSL; nationwide availability; $30 activation fee by phone or online, no fee at store; no termination fee if canceled within 30 days or after 1 yr, otherwise $40; do-it-yourself installation

We have it with our local DSL provider. It came bundles with high speed internet and our cable package.

It has been totally seamless transition from land line to cable. We kept our same phone number and the clarity is just like it was before.


On the other hand, my sil switched in Boston and they've been having all kinds of trouble (thru Comcast).

You may want to find some people in your area with that specific provider and see how it is for them.

We use 8X8(or Packet 8)which is an internet phone service for our business,. I think the quality is fair, but we have had some problems with echoing and also some technical problems(like when the companies server goes down, then you basically have no phone). I would prefer going back to a regular phone system but it is not my decision. Sorry I couldn't give you better news.
Jill

We've been using internet phone for about 4yrs now and we switched to Vonage about 1 1/2 ago and they are fantastic.. Clear as a bell. I talk to my mother every night in Toronto and you wouldn't even know that I was on the internet. We use it with Bell DSL.. I don't recommend it with Cable. Cable is to unreliable.

Heather