Traditional phone companies have hopped on the digital calling bandwagon. Verizon recently introduced their digital phone service-Verizon VoiceWing. Unfortunately for the telecommunications giant their package is more expensive, and offers less than many of their competitors. The company currently offers two service packages. Subscribers receive 500 minutes of local service for $19.95 monthly rate. For $24.95 a month, they get free unlimited local calls and unlimited long distance to the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Vonage, a digital phone company also offers unlimited local calling, and unlimited long distance calling to the same areas as Verizon for the same fee, but the company’s basic residential package offers the same amount of time for only $14.95 a month. The basic Vonage package also includes free caller ID, three way calling, voicemail, and call forwarding.
As with the entire Internet, the FCC is still trying to formulate official widespread regulations on VoIP, and not all area providers are VoIP-capable. Research which providers operate in your area.
And the influx of VoIP brings competition from the old guard. Remember that even if independent digital phone companies are not currently serving your area, the majority of major phone companies are also offering competitive digital phone service in their regular calling areas for the fraction of the charge of regular phone service. With flat monthly plans, it is easier to calculate a monthly budget with few or no billing surprises.
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