Vonage

What a difference a month makes. (This is an update of a post I wrote a month ago, almost to the day.)

Landlines? Pffft. I haven't used one for years. And why would I when I'm already paying for broadband Internet service, which has more than enough bandwidth to carry my voice? All I need is a voice-over-IP adapter.

There are lots of options here, including well-known ones like MagicJack and Vonage. But there's another product that's just as good, if not better -- and it's on sale.

Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay … Read more

I haven't had a landline phone for years. See, I'm already paying for broadband Internet service, which has more than enough bandwidth to carry my voice. All I need is a voice-over-IP adapter to bridge the gap between my cordless phone system and my router.

There are countless options here; you've probably heard of the more famous ones like MagicJack and Vonage. But there's another product that's just as good, if not better -- and it's on sale.

Today only, and while supplies last, 1SaleADay has the refurbished NetTalk Duo VoIP adapter for $29.99, … Read more

This is an update of a deal I posted last year.

I haven't used a landline for as long as I can remember. It's probably been five or six years since I switched to voice-over-IP service, and although there have been bumps along the way (anyone remember SunRocket?), I can't complain about the thousands (!) of dollars I've saved.

If you're ready to do likewise, I highly recommend the Ooma Telo. This sexy black box plugs into your router and provides unlimited local- and long-distance calling.

It normally sells for $199.99, but for a limited … Read more

Vonage on Wednesday rolled out Vonage Mobile, new iPhone and Android apps, that allow for texts and calls while undercutting Skype rates.

It remains to be seen whether Vonage can make much traction against Skype’s installed base. Vonage’s international calling rates are 30 percent less than Skype's.

But that’s only part of the story. The larger tale here goes well beyond a mobile app. Just a few years ago, Vonage was on financial death watch. The company has rebuilt a balance sheet that looked like it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. Mark … Read more

It's been years since I cut the cord on my landline phone, and although there have been bumps along the way (anyone remember SunRocket?), I can't complain about the thousands--yes, probably a couple thousand, by my math--of dollars I've saved.

If you're ready to do likewise, I highly recommend the Ooma Telo. This sexy black box plugs into your router and provides unlimited local- and long-distance calling.

It normally sells for $199.99, but today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished Ooma Telo home phone system for $139.99, plus $5 for shipping.… Read more

iOS device owners can now make international calls and pay for them through iTunes courtesy of a new app from Vonage.

Released yesterday, the free Time to Call app is geared toward people who need to make quick calls around the world. The app lets iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch owners make voice over Internet Protocol calls of up to 15 minutes to any one of more than 190 different countries.

And instead of dealing with Vonage or another carrier for billing, users pay for their calls via their iTunes accounts. So the service is accessible to any Apple iOS device owner, including non-Vonage customers.

The cost? Calls to 100 countries run $1.99 or less, while calls to 90 additional countries are billed at anywhere from $2.99 to $9.99, all for up to 15 minutes. You can find out how much a specific call will cost by choosing the country you want to phone at Vonage's Time to Call Web page.

Calls can be made over either Wi-Fi or 3G networks in the U.S. and Canada, while phoning a landline or mobile phone costs the same amount.

For a "limited time," your first international call is free, and any unused minutes can be applied toward additional calls.… Read more

Vonage is sweetening its Internet calling service by extending its international unlimited calling plans to mobile phones.

The company today introduced Vonage Extensions, which basically extends its home voice calling service to any cell phone. This means that customers who subscribe to the company's $25.99 Vonage World service will be able to make an unlimited number of calls and talk as long as they like to landline phones in more than 60 countries and to cell phones in 10 countries from their mobile phones just as they do from their home phones.

"About 50 percent of the … Read more

Almost 25 percent of Internet users have made phone calls via Internet Protocol services such as Skype and Vonage, according to a study (PDF) released yesterday by Pew Internet.

Of the U.S. adult population in general, 19 percent had made Internet calls, based on the poll. On an average day, around 5 percent of Internet users are likely to make a phone call online, the poll found.

The latest findings show a dramatic increase over previous Pew surveys that asked similarly-phrased questions about online phone calls.

In February of 2007, Pew found that only 8 percent of Internet users … Read more

A few months ago, when I asked if it was time to pull the plug on home phone service, many commenters spoke highly of Ooma, a voice-over-IP service with a twist: buy the hardware and you're done. You get unlimited long-distance calling in the U.S., cheap overseas rates--and no monthly bill.

Since then, I've had the chance to review the Ooma Telo for myself. After just a few days using the service, I was sold on its better-than-Vonage sound quality and huge potential savings. So I dumped Vonage and have been using Ooma for the last couple … Read more