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Review: VoIP offers low-cost phone service

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From VOIP Flash
Posted by admin on Apr 21, 2005 - 04:06 PM

When I signed up for Internet phone service from Vonage in 2003, the company's reputation for quality, reliable connections had finally accorded respectability to a technology previously associated with weird beeps, echoes and static.

I asked colleagues who get VoIP service from others for brief reports. Here's what they found:

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SPEAKEASY INC.'S VOICE OVER IP/HOME

I stared at the box for a week, terrified that installation would be complicated, or might mess up my DSL. But once I mustered the courage, setup was an utter breeze.

The calls are clear, and the line reliable. In fact, not long after I connected the Speakeasy service, my regular phone line went down and I used the VoIP line to request a repair.

Pricing is very competitive, with a caveat. Unlimited calls within the United States and Canada cost $23.95 per month, with a long list of extra features included at no additional charge, but you can't get the service unless you also subscribe to Speakeasy for your DSL line.

Speakeasy boasts that as both DSL and VoIP provider, it can ensure sound quality by prioritizing transmission of voice packets over data traffic.

This may be true, but Speakeasy's entry-level DSL offerings are pricier than most: $55.95 a month for so-called "naked" DSL if you no longer buy regular phone service from your local Bell, or $39.95 a month if you do.

But a higher price comes with uniquely attentive customer service. It never took more than a minute or so to get a live, knowledgeable person on the phone, and e-mail queries also drew a rapid reply. If there's ever a problem, the person who fields your call becomes your single point of contact until the trouble is resolved.

Bruce Meyerson, AP Business Writer