VOIP Phone Service

Telecom Summaries

Which is the best VOIP phone service?
Is it Comcast, Lingo, Magic Jack, Skype, or Vonage?
Here is a VOIP comparison chart to help you decide.





AT&T is the WORST of all telecom services - poor service, high cost, and phony charges. It's time to go VOIP, and save money!

$ per Month

Contract
Required?

Maximum
# of Lines

As many as you want to pay for

Minimum
Hardware
Required

Broadband Internet

300 MHz.
128M RAM

Mac PPC G3
Mac PPC G4

Broadband Internet

PC

Mac

Broadband Internet

PC

Intel Mac only

Broadband Internet

Speakers/ Microphone
1GHz. processor
256M RAM

Mac G4, 800MHz.
512MB RAM
40M free space

For V-Portal
Broadband Internet
  

For V-Phone
Broadband Internet
   plus 300 MHz. Pent.
   plus USB 1.1

NO Mac or Linux

n.a.

Software
Supported

Windows 2000, or
Windows XP, or
Windows Vista
IE 6.0 SP1

Mac OS 9
Mac OS X
Safari

None -
Special Adapter Direct to Internet

Windows XP, or
Windows Vista

(The TOS says "Windows XP" only! - TOS #1) Needs to be updated.

Windows 2000, or
Windows XP, or
Windows Vista

OS 10.3.9

For V-Phone
Windows 2000, or
Windows XP
Windows Vista

n.a.

Transfer
Current
Number?

Cost of Calls

Unlimited local calls
Unlimited LD calls

Free local
Free LD IN USA

Free local
Free LD IN USA

Foreign countries - Must buy minutes at UNPUBLISHED rates.

Free local
LD- Up to $1/ minute
Plus connect fee
Unlimited Co. - $5.95
Unlimited US - $2.95
Unlimited W - $12.95
(landlines only - 4 times more for cell phone calls)

Unlimited local calls
Unlimited LD calls

Foreign Countries -
   $30 - $40 per month
   landlines only

Free local
$$$ Long Distance

Features

Anonymous Call Rejection
Call Forwarding Selective
Call Forwarding Variable
Call Return
Call Waiting
Caller ID
Caller ID with Call Waiting
Caller ID Blocking
Call Screening

Anonymous Call Rejection
Call Forwarding
Call Return
Call Waiting
Caller ID + Name
Caller ID Blocking
Do Not Disturb

Caller ID
Call Waiting
Directory Assistance

Instant Messaging

Call Waiting
Call Forwarding
Call Retiurn
Caller ID
Instant Messaging

Anonymous Call Rejection
Call Forwarding Selective
Call Forwarding Variable
Call Return
Call Waiting
Caller ID
Caller ID with Call Waiting
Caller ID Blocking
Call Screening

Mail messages
Repeat Dialing
Speed Dial 8
3-way Calling
Online access to Voice Online account summary

Repeat Dialing
Simultaneous Ring
Speed Dial
Voicemail

3-way Calling

-
Voicemail

-
Video Calls
Voicemail

Repeat Dialing
Voicemail

Repeat Dialing
Voicemail

Issues

Most expensive

-

Poor quality reported.

Fast computer needed.

Secret Long Distance rates - you must have an account to see the rates!

NO RECORD of long distance calls is provided.

"Excessive use" will cause your service to be terminated (TOS #6). "Excessive use" is described in an undefinable way - it is whatever they say it is.

MagicJack Is Bad
.

No emergency calls

Must "buy credit" before calling phones "not covered" by your "subscription".

Only Skype-to-Skype calls are free.

False deactivation issues

1-year contract

Cramming
Phony charges
Sells your number

Complaints
Found
on Google

Others

Here are a few other VOIP providers worthy of consideration -

8x8

Jajah

Phone Power

125-1024

150

150

150

150

150

150

DISCLAIMER
The opinions above are those of the author alone, and no one else.
I found all the public company information above by using Google search.
Although the author has tried to be as accurate as possible, errors are possible.
I was slammed by AT&T. So, I made this VOIP comparison web page, to help everyone find an alternative.

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