NC Penguin

I'm with OneSuite.com and never called a cellphone number in the UK but their rates p/min to a UK cellphone are 19 cents p/min.

See-
http://www.onesuite.com/rates.asp
and click on the link for calls originating from the US.

I've been using OneSuite.com for over two years now and am very satisfied with the quality of the line and their rates.




NC Penguin

fatbrit

Nice rates. But if you have cable broadband, ditching your local telco and going VoIP is really a no-brainer. The $20/month Lingo option is cheaper than the basic service from our local telco. And in addition, you get all the bells and whistles, free intrastate, interstate LD, free Canada and Western Europe non-cell.

Our combined bill with the local telco and the cheapest LD provider for our particular call destinations used to be around $90/month in total; with VoIP it's more like $40. That's $600/year!

As far as I know, there's no reason why you couldn't use the OneSuite service through your VoIP line if you suddenly had to make calls that were expensive on your provider's plan.

NC Penguin

I need to keep my landline for incoming calls from the UK mostly.




NC Penguin

fatbrit

When mama calls, it rings on your normal phone when using VoIP. You can even usually keep the same number.

Alternatively, you can even add a London number to your home phone system with VoIP -- mater calls a London number but it rings at your des res in NC. Costs you around for $5-$10/month extra for this though -- no extra for calls.

dunroving

Bloody amazing. I followed your instructions, talked with the higher-ups. She asked me to re-fax my LNP form (of course, I'm sure that didn't mean they lost my last one).

Faxed it this morning. Within 8 hours I get an email saying "Done - your number will be ported on March 4". You're a miracle-worker!

snowbunny

Bell South unlimited for $40/month?! I'm being raped by Southwestern Bell, who claim to have no international unlimited dialling. I have to stay with them for local service until my in-laws move out, but after that they are sooooo gone after "forgetting" to put a frequent international calling plan on my line when I switched from AT&T in order to accommodate the rellies (who need their number ported from one local exchange to another and say that SWB is the only one who can do this).

I so hate phone bills, they eat me alive. 10-10-220 is decent to landlines but I need to check mobile rates.

ladylisa

Earlier in this thread I said that the call quality wasnt great with my Lingo service, I've just found the problem...my phone. As I had two lines into the house my husband got a phone from work so we could try out the Lingo service but the phone must have been faulty. I switched to my old phone and the line is great.

The only disapointing thing is that Lingo were unable to get SBC to agree to give me my phone number. So I'm faced with contacting everyone with a change of number...oh well I suppose the call will be free!

As my phone already has an answer machine can I switch off the Lingo answering service?

RockBank

I’ve signed up to Lingo and the service seems ok at present. One word of caution though is that we ported our SBC number over to Lingo. SBC read this as we didn’t want their line or DSL, which you need of course to be able to use Lingo in the first place. We had no phone line or DSL for over a week while the mess was sorted out. If possible just tell everyone your Lingo number and don’t bother with porting your old number.

snowbunny

You would have to check with the telecommunications commission in your state, but landline numbers here in the US are now supposed to be portable between providers. Of course, sometimes the local carrier can come up with "technical" reasons as to why this is "impossible" but I would call SBC yourself to enquire (you were previously a customer so they should be able to answer your question very specifically to your satisfaction).

ImHere

Or you could get your internet via your cable co then you wont need a land line at all.

snowbunny

Caveat: without a landline 911 cannot determine the location you're calling from, so if you have children or elderly or a security system that could be problematic. Your setup must be able to pass through Caller ID information.

fatbrit

Not strictly true!

See: http://www.lingosupport.com/faq_emer...e_over_ip.html

Many other vendors have similar solutions.

Duncan Roberts

I have been thinking about VoIP for a while, but 2 things bither me. The first is it seem complicated to rig up more than 1 phone. The second is that it is not secure. It is very easy for dodgy people to intercept, record palyback and save every call you make. Yes, your phone can be tapped, but that requires somebody to physically do it. When everything is digital, anyone can do it from there house to anywhere in the world. No matter what the companies tell you, none of them are encrypting the data. I still have some thinking and figures to work out!

Taffyles

We pay for the London number - its great. My Mum and most friends are on phone deals where they get free calls in the UK at certain times- using the London number, they can call me for free! Jeeze I shudder to think how much I've spent on phoning UK during the last 13 years :scared: Wish they'd had this years ago- didn't even have the internet when we came out here.

I kept my land line- cut down to basic service- for the security system and Direct TV.

fatbrit

Rigging up your whole house after you've got rid of the local telco is a doddle -- five minute job, no wiring required, that's all!

Security is an issue, but then again how many folks use unsecured cordless phones at home? Also, how many calls through cheap LD providers are routed over the Internet anyway?