VoIP Phone Services: Vonage
Vonage is one of the many internet-based VoIP phone services available. My roommate and I became Vonage customers two years ago, when we moved into an apartment that didn’t have a phone line installed, and tended to be a dead zone for our cell phones. It was a promotion that drew us into the world of Vonage; $24.99 for an unlimited calling plan, free Vonage adapter, and two months of free service.
Because of the quality and reliability of Vonage, I was able to save money by switching to a less comprehensive cell phone plan and using the home phone more often. The amazing part is that the cost is less than half of what it would cost monthly for a land line from the phone company, not to mention saving on the costly installation fees. I’m not the most technologically inclined person out there, so when I received the Vonage adapter and instructions in the mail, I was immediately concerned about being able to set up the service. It did take me a few tries, as I needed to rearrange some of the electronic devices in the living room to see what needed to be plugged into what.
All in all, though, the setup process was relatively painless. When I called in to Vonage in order to set up and activate my account, customer service was very friendly, patient, and cheerful. Nowadays, most calls to a customer service hot line involve 10-20 minutes of hold time, but not with Vonage. They answered my call immediately, even though it was 8 PM. At first, I was skeptical about the quality of a VoIP phone service, but the call quality with Vonage is as good, if not better, than a traditional landline phone. Unlike cell phones, Vonage doesn’t drop calls or have difficulty getting through to another party during peak usage.
The only negative I’ve ever experienced with Vonage is that they’re not particularly effective with sending a bill out to you on a regular basis. At one point, I hadn’t received a bill for almost 6 months, despite giving them my correct e-mail address. (They do not send paper bills or statements via mail, in an attempt to keep costs low.). By the time I’d received a bill, it had added up to a fairly hefty amount. However, many customers may see it as a plus that Vonage’s billing is somewhat erratic; they’re definitely not the sort of service to disconnect your phone when your bill is two weeks overdue. I truly can’t recommend Vonage enough. If you’ve got a decently fast computer, cable internet, and don’t mind keeping your telephone close to the computer, you have a very good substitute for the traditional landline, minus the long distance charges. Especially if you’re like me, young and on a budget, but with friends and family you’d like to feel free to talk to as often as possible, Vonage is a must-have.
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Vonage VoIP Phone Services
Vonage is one of the several VoIP phone services that are available. Vonage has three plans to choose from: Basic, Pro and World. Since I call my relatives in Brazil at least three to five times a month, I chose the Vonage World service. The basic service includes 500 minutes of outbound calling time to anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada for the monthly price of $17.99. You also get unlimited incoming calls.
The Pro package costs $34.99 a month and includes unlimited local and long distance calling to United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and unlimited land line calling to a few places including France, Italy and Spain. Finally, the world plan, which I chose costs only $24.99 a month with unlimited calling in the United States and unlimited calling in over 60 other countries. For me, this was an absolutely fantastic deal no more worrying about using expensive phone cards all the time when needing to get a hold of one of my relatives.
In order to receive this service, you need three things: a fast internet connection (DSL, cable ..ect), a phone, and a special phone adapter that Vonage gives you. Once you have these three materials, set up is very easy. Just connect the adapter to your internet and then connect your phone to the adapter.
I was very surprised at how easy this process would be. Once I switched over to Vonage I was concerned about keeping my phone number but that was no hassle at all. Vonage let me keep my number for no extra cost.
My first test call went better then I had expected it to be. A lot of people were saying how internet phone services have low quality of sound and have a lot of interference. I was a little skeptical at first but am so glad that I decided to go through with it. Call quality was crystal clear, no different then my old phone service. I was able to call all my relatives in Brazil for no extra cost. I couldn’t believe how much money I was saving by switching over to Vonage. Just on phone cards to call different countries, I’d spend over 20 dollars a month.
Now, with this World Plan, my VoIP rates are only 25 dollars a month. Out of 5 stars I’d rate it a 5. So far no problems and customer service seemed very friendly and helpful.
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