What is Digg?44 Comments
- irni, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Comcast Phone Service: 39.99
Vonage Phone Service: 24.99
Now... where exactly are the ISPs doing this cheaper? Not to mention if you lose power with comcast then any ring into your line says it is disconnected, with vonage it goes to your voice mail. - rderveloy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12"I've always said this. Any service that MUST piggyback off of another service will be at a complete disadvantage in a cut throat market place. Goodbye Vonage."
You do realize that any VOIP service will always piggyback over an internet connection, right? I'm not saying you shouldn't drop Vonage, but your logic applies to all VOIP providers, even the ISP's themselves. Besides, ISP's don't provide VIOP service in all areas yet. So, until then, Vonage will most likely have a lead over the competition.
You also need to give credit where credit is due. Without Vonage, VOIP would still only be in the realm of personal computers. While Vonage may not have gotten everything right, they've taken a pc-only product (by pc I mean personal computers in general) and made it a user friendly home-consumer product. Vonage has gotten the big ISP's off their lazy butts and the resulting competition can only be good for customers.
As for any problems with Vonage's service, I've had Vonage for about a year now and I've never had any problems. My ISP has given me headaches with service outages, but that's not Vonage's fault. When that happens, I just use my cell phone and everything's cool. - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I've always said this. Any service that MUST piggyback off of another service will be at a complete disadvantage in a cut throat market place. Goodbye Vonage.
- scottmoss, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"The problem for Vonage will be: there is nothing in their technology that larger providers can't already do, and do more cheaply." The problem is most will not offer at a better price, they will add glossy brochures and big marketing campaigns, then charge twice as much! But I still am not a Vonage fan...
- Frieked, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It's true... count on the small startup company to innovate and then the big companies to take their ideas and offer them for less, goodbye small company. Vonage still has a few years left in them but judging by their stock price and their constant spending on marketing they are on a slow deathwatch at this point.
- MikeCampo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5That's a good point.
On the other hand, Vonage is really starting to tick me off. I lost my phone service about an hour ago and their website says nothing about it...Maybe I should drop them and wait for my ISP to offer VOIP. - rileyjt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5My ISP (Comcast) offers Voip for $40 a month. Wow, what a deal! Personally, I'll stick with my $15 a month Vonage plan. Any company in the Voip market that expects the industry not to be cut-throat is in for a big suprise - but I think these companies like Vonage are very aware of that and ready to compete on that level. Comcast doesn't look ready... but hopefully they will come around some day.
- rderveloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6See for yourself:
http://www.vonage.com/
Basically, you can get 500 minutes of local and long distance calls for $15/month or unlimited local and long distance for $25/month.
The service includes:
Voicemail
Caller ID with Name
Call Waiting
Call Forwarding
3-way calling
Call Transfer
Call Return (aka free *69)
Caller ID Block
Repeat Dialing
International Call Block
They also have a bunch of unique features included. Pretty sweet deal for the price if you already have a broadband connection. - mattb5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"and do more cheaply"
They CAN do it more cheaply, but do they? No. Vonage $25.99. Charter $39.99. Plus Vonage has a crap ton more features that Charter either charges extra for or doesn't offer at all. They COULD do it, but do they? No, so Vonage wins in my book. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"These parasitic phone services are running on your high speed data circuits without paying a connection charge or royalty of any kind"
I am tired of this assumption that businesses like Vonage, Google, Yahoo and the likes are "getting a free ride". They are not.
First, for Vonage service, Vonage is paying for their bandwidth. I am paying for Vonage AND for my bandwidth via my provider. No one is getting a free ride.
As for the big Telcos coming along and doing what Vonage does for cheaper...scottmoss hit it right on the nose. They could...but they won't. Between the various telcos around me the cheapest phone sevice I can find is $49.95/mo for VOIP Phone service. They are spending MILLIONS on advertising and trying to recoup that cost from their userbase of 50 people. - Eldoo77, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4... but how long will it be until Comcast "detects" Vonage's service and assigns the proper QoS so that it doesn't work at all? Then cheaper will be irrelevant.
- spiderland, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Definitely agreed. I've been a Vonage customer for a little less than a year now, and I'm happy with my $15/month (more like $17/month) service.
I'll never go back to the $40/month SBC/ATT plan just for HAVING a phone. Never again. - eth3l, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Why is everyone on Vonage's ass so much? I have been a customer since about 2002. They offer a good product at a great price. There will be mergers in the VoIP field just as there were in the land line area. Skype v. Voange v. Sunrocket. in the mainstream market, Vonage has probably the best brand, therefore exposing them to more takeover bids. What would the take over include if the technology can be rep.licated on any easy basis by any Telco or ISP? ahhh the customer list!
In any event I still dont get why peoiple feel the need to bash Vonage so much - VoIP provider is simply a matter of preference. Vonage treats me good, so I remain a customer. - Ryosen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@rderveloy
$15 a month. Comcast provides the same thing for $45 a month.
How, exactly, are the ISPs providing it for less?
Answer: they're not and they won't. Once they kill Vonage and the others, there will be nothing left but them. And it will still cost $45 a month. - Vejadu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Time-Warner is the same. Why should I switch from my Vonage service, which is $15/month, to your digital phone service for $39?
I've had no problems with Vonage thus far. I just moved last week and simply plugged my Vonage router in at my new address and it worked instantly. - lordsandwich, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I used to use a VOIP carrier until I realized that I didn't need to have a landline at all, given the fact that I already have a cellphone. Granted, I don't do much overseas calling, but when I do I can always turn to prepaid cards. It's difficult to justify paying for a phone line that I can't even use when I'm out of the house.
- Yardy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wonder why there is no mention of Sunrocket VoIP www.sunrocket.com anywhere in the comments. I have been a SR subscriber for about a year and my service is superb. I piggyback on a 1.5 MBPS DSL from Verizon and enjoy 99% uptime on my service. All this for $199/yr. and the features are more robust than Vonage or the other VoIP providers. I even get music on hold. I love Sunrocket servi ce and would reccomend it to anyone.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I hope they eat lean.
- peterjhill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Let's see... I am going to have high speed internet wherever I go. Unfortunately, when I move, I need to get my cable, internet, electricity, gas, all switched over. Phone, now, just plug in to the Internet at the new place. Keep the same phone number. Heck, I moved to a new city, got a new phone number, kept my old one. My friends in my old city can call my old number, even at work, not pay long distance.
Personally, I don't want to pay a penny to any company that used to be part of ATT. Particularly with all the crap they have been pulling with the net neutrality... As for "doing it cheaper" vonage does not need to support pots (plain old telephone service), The machines that they are putting in COs are huge million dollar(s) switches. By being a pure VOIP company, they can operate more efficiently than the old bells. - Yardy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Also, Sunrocket service includes truly unlimited calling to USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, USVI and Alaska & Hawaii. All this service is included in the price of $199/yr. and there are no taxes or hidden costs at all. They even send you a nice dual handset cordless phone and a hardware SIP controller. Can't beat Sunrocket.
- pondster, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I hear that - Iv'e been a vonage customer since a few months after they began, after hearing Dvorak hype them up. Thing is, in the beginning service sucked - but within the last year, service has been very very good. Iv'e had NO outages whatsoever, no audiable degredation - nothing to complain about.
I doubt comcast will ever lower the price, jsut the oposite - I can see the ISP's banding together to kill vonage then oops, sorry we just realized there are other costs - your new price for the same service is now $49.99 a month! - peterjhill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Oh, and another thing.... I would never want to "bundle" my phone service and my ISP. I want to be able to switch ISPs at any time if I am dissatisfied with their service or the cost. The US has way overpriced broadband. Most of Europe has faster broadband than the US for between $20 and $30 a month. Compared to $45 that I am paying now. (and it is not broadband if my upload speed is only 128k... I won't touch anything less than 512k)
- trueimage, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The ONLY advantage I see for the Cablecos is if they do it like the local one here does... (someone correct me if I'm wrong, I have Vonage) Shaw Cable has "digital phone" but the way it was explained is that it has its own power so if you lose power the phone is still on. And that is why they charge $55/mo (with internet/tv) for it. Standalone is $65. (another "feature" I guess... you don't have to have internet). But Vonage $19.95 canadian for 500 mins is more than enough for me.
- The_Dude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I just want to comment on the whole "ATT being broken up again..these companies never learn". Actually, the whole process of companies merging together and then being broken apart again years later is just a giant boon to investment bankers and lawyers. They make craploads of money just moving assets around and reorganizing them. Craploads. And what did they really create? Shareholder value sometimes, but not always.
I have a Vonage unit sitting in the box still. It's about time to set it up, since I don't even use the phone much at home. - williamdyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Vonage? Doomed.
ISP telcos? Doomed. Comcast, AT&T, Verizon are the ***** that turn over your data to the NSA. ***** 'em.
Googletalk, Skype, Yahoo Messenger with voice, AIM with VoIP... THAT's the future. - panique, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@rderveloy - an ISP providing VoIP can do things that Vonage can't. For example, my VoIP service from SpeakEasy has QoS at the link layer. This works in both directions. I've never had any skipping calls like I used to get with Vonage. An ISP can do other things too, like route VoIP traffic entirely on a network they control until the call drops back to the PSTN, giving them control over latency. Another thing Vonage can't do.
I'd hardly say this is Vonage's biggest problem though. I think they're going to lose vs. the IPO buyers that have decided to back out on the basis that they provided inadequate investment counseling. That's going to be a much larger problem for them in the short term. - rileyjt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1>>
They make craploads of money just moving assets around and reorganizing them. Craploads. And what did they really create? Shareholder value sometimes, but not always.
>>
That "value" doesn't come out of thin air though. Its paid for by the company's customers - you and me. Well, it used to be me until I switched to voip. Is it still you? - charlescheese, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Which is why when Vonage went public they said that they can't promise they'll ever make any money. I pity the fool that owns that stock. Vonage will not be around a few years. Remember, this is just the start for competition from the big boys. They've barely come on board with this technology. When they do, they will CRUSH Vonage. Time Warner's service, bundled with cable internet and cable tv is about the same price as Vonage in my area. Plus, it's bundled, and you only have to pay one bill. Vonage can't compete with that.
- ID10TH4X0R, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Being a Vonage employee, the reason behind the dropped service was due to a nasty storm on the East coast yesterday. We were flooded with calls made on cell phones and pay phones as to why their internet was working, but not their phone. From what was handed down from the higher-ups, there was a power outage in Homdel, NJ and killed the Vonage network for a little while. I'm not sure if all service has been restored, but I know that most people have their phone back.
And here is where I would reccomend sticking with the copper wire. Power goes out? Still have your phone. Internet is down? Still have your phone. Grandma is dying? Don't have to wait 5-10 minutes for a Vonage representitive to get you to a 911 response center and grandma lives! That right there is worth it. I know that not all people have elderly or small children living in their homes, but for those that do, Vonage isn't something I would EVER recommend.
Oh yeah. Vonage sucks. - rileyjt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The phone may still be on if you loose power, but if you don't have an internet connection, you are not going to have a dial tone.
- rileyjt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually chances are those big companies will simply buy the small, innovative companies up as they look to get a leg up on their bigger competitors.
- spiderland, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@rileyjt: Which is where your cell phone comes in handy, which many people have.
- 5blocksfree, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Vonage's problems aside, I'd suspect that the smaller companies might be less inclined to jump into bed with the NSA, CIA, or any other three-letter government agency. That alone has to be worth something....oh wait...we're talking about *americans* here.
- bjorni, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3You can get Vonage for $15.99 too, 500 minutes a month. Never had any problems with them, and I never use all my 500 min.
- DA5lD, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I realize Vonage is the topic -- but speaking of VOIP, I use Yahoo's VOIP -- $3 per month & 2 cent per minute. Very cheap for me and no problems. Until something seriously changes, I'll never go back.
- xenoguy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've been a vonage user for years now. fortunately for them they dont have any competitors in my area for the forseeable future.
my local isp (rogers cable) just started launching rogers home phone. technically its voip, but they're only competing with local loop providers like bell, and offer no real long distance deals like vonage. the local ISPs also need to develop points of presence everywhere that people want to call in order to compete with vonage, which they are far far behind on.
and then theres the other ISP, bell, which is the phone company, and it certainly isnt going to shoot itself in the foot by offering free long distance like vonage. long distance gouging is how big bloated phone companies stay afloat. - bradleyland, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Telcos that also provide POTS aren't going to undercut their current business, and cable companies are only going to price their product competitively enough to beat the telcos. WIthout companies like Vonage, price competition drops to virtually nil. Go Vonage, go! I'll keep my account an account with them until they shut the doors.
- DrJ00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I'm skeptical of ISPs providing a competitive rate to what I pay for my VoIP service thru voicestick. I pay $0.00 monthly for my phone number and 2.4cents/minute on outgoing calls. All incoming calls are free. Since I rarely call out and much of my calls are incoming I spend astonishingly little for my voice communications. I spent ~$30 shipped for my phone adapter thru them. At the rate I'm going, I spend less in a year than I did with a land line in 2 months.
I just don't see Comcast, Charter, Knology or Bell South (these are the providers in my area) competing with that ever. I even doubt they'll compete with Vonage for their unlimited plan since people pay that much or more for local phone service alone. The major telcos and high speed ISPs are just too addicted to their outdated 0 competition pricing models. - timla, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Just a thought,
The article describes AT&T's reaction after deregulation and advent of MCI and sprint, and seems to describe the events as AT&T getting their hind-end in gear once thee low price providers came along, but that is not the way I remember it, AT&T seemed to be continually falling behind it was only their massive size, and fat the sustained them for so long until finally they were snapped up by one of their offspring which had survived because it was still protected by monopolies granted to it by the government. (Basically building an empire off the backs of the tax payers from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas)
Looking at this I cannot draw the same conclusions as the author, he may end up being right in the end, but AT&T seems to be a poor example. - skeeto, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'd switch over to the ISP's VOIP service if they dropped the price. Time Warner spams me with postcards on a weekly basis telling me to switch to their "All N One" plan. They're charging 39.99 for the VOIP service and think that's a deal. I suppose it is if you're using a regular phone company and have $100 monthly bills. But I was using Verizon and was averaging about $45 a month. I switched to Vonage earlier this year and am only paying $14.99 on their 500 minute plan. I believe their unlimited is only $10 more. On a related note, Verizon recently called me and tried to get me to go back for a "deal" of $39.95 for unlimited service. I flat out told them if you can beat $14.99 or at least 24.99 (vonage's unlimited), then let me know. Otherwise don't bug me again.
As for the Vonage service, it's been ok for me. A few blips here and there and don't try to download anything while you're on the phone, but other than that it's ok. I've got a cellphone backup anyway and tend to use that more than the home line. - rderveloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"... but how long will it be until Comcast "detects" Vonage's service and assigns the proper QoS so that it doesn't work at all? Then cheaper will be irrelevant."
That's what anti-trust lawsuits are for! I bet, sometime within the next 50 years, at&t will be hit with the anti-trust bat and end up being broken up... AGAIN! It's too bad these companies never learn their lessons. - author20, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Vonage has been asking for it. To offer VOIP package without Unified Communications (combined email, voice mail -- with phone access) is to be vulnerable to be mugged by the first VOIP company that has a total package for business. However -- right now -- nobody in the big telcos seem to get it. They are totally out of touch with VOIP technology.
We tried AT&T Unified (various names) and were amazed that it did not have real caller-ID, and the message delivery was unreliable. Verizon -- horrible. Sprint? -- next. We haven't tried their new VOIP offerings and may hold off until the Supreme Court rules on the anti-trust suit. Yes, I think there is a conspiracy by the bell companies.
Right now -- the market is waiting -- with boat-loads of money -- for a phone company to offer comprehensive effective IP-based communications. SBC folks say the AT&T managers in Texas do not listen to the market or even regional management. I helped to break-up AT&T in the early 80s, when my company provided the first non-Bell telco equipment. I am amazed at how consumers and the media are unable to stand against a very destructive take-over and consolidation conspiracy by the Bell companies in recent years. Imagine -- giving Arnold Schwarzenegger $70,000 to support AT&T-SBC merger. That undermines democracy and destroys competition. - BPeddle, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Vonage is a sinking ship. The IPO was a disaster. Skype now has free outgoing calls to any phone #. Skype also offers a phone # for a few bucks. I had Vonage for about 6 months, after the constant choppy conversations I had to put a second line in my house.
I have been using Skype casually to do conference calls with and I have to say the quality so far has been equal to or better than Vonage. - AnGryTreE, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2What exactly is "Vonage's Lunch"? I'm a little hungry too but, I really hate anything with olives or anchovies.
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is