voice over internet protocol comparison
Voice over Internet protocol rocks! After seeing the voice over Internet protocol (voip) marketplace blow up with offers, I settled to compile an unbiased voice over Internet protocol plan comparison chart, to compare a wide range of plans. The chart presently admits voice over Internet protocol plans from AT&T, BroadVoice, Lingo, Packet8, Speakeasy, SunRocket, Verizon, VoicePulse, Vonage, VoxFlow, and AOL. I will be adding a lot of suppliers like time permits.
I signed up for AT&T’s CallVantage voice over Internet protocol phone service a year and a half ago and I am still digging it. The overall voice over Internet protocol call quality is excellent and I have slashed my monthly telephone bills by more than half. With unlimited long distance, I could yak to my heart’s content without watching the proverbial egg-timer each time I make a call.

Among the great voice over Internet protocol players, the most popular features like voice mail, call waiting, call forwarding, caller I.D., and 3-way calling are allowed at no additional billing. Tell that to your local telephone company the next time they try selling them to you at extra cost!

While we have come to take free unlimited long distance for granted with the voice over Internet protocol plans, a lot of digging has turned up a whole bunch of interesting options with regard to international calling. How about unlimited calls to Asia or European Union?
Whenever you are thinking of going with a voice over Internet protocol plan, the chart is an essential read.

Feature

 Vonage Packet 8 VoicePulse VoiceStick Lingo
 (review pending)

Product Type

Hardware

Hardware

Hardware

Software

Hardware

Caller ID number

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Caller ID name

Y

N

Y

N

Call Waiting

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

3-way calling

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Call Transfer

Y

in Virtual Office only

N

‘coming soon’

Y

Call Forwarding

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Calls forwarded if power fails

Y

N

Y

n/a

Hunt Groups (Call Forward Busy)

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Call Forward No Answer

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Voicemail

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Voicemail to email

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

24/7 Phone based Customer Support

Y

Y

N

simple first level only

Y

Free calls to other subscribers

Y

Y

Y

Y

Anonymous call blocking

N

N

Y

N

Y

Auto redial

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Return call speed dial (*69)

Y

Y (in July 04)

Y

N

Y

Telemarketer tone block

N

N

Y

N

Outgoing caller ID block
(one call/all calls)

Y/N

N/Y

Y/Y

N

Y/Y

Contact List custom caller ID

N

N

Y

N

Distinctive Ringing

N

in Virtual Office only

Y

N

Y

Do Not Disturb

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Speed Dial numbers

N

N

99

Y

8

DISA – call into system and out again from any number

N

N

N

Y

N

Outgoing fax calls

Y

unofficial

unofficial

N

Incoming fax calls

Y

unofficial

unofficial

N

(800) numbers

Y

Y (in July 04)

N

N

Local area codes in how many states

38

44

40

47