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Post by shoreterp on Apr 27, 2007 15:39:38 GMT -4
Got an ad in the mail for Atlantic Broadband phone service. I was looking for high speed internet anyway so I called them.
Pretty good deal. $49.95/mo + $4/mo modem rental for the first year for both the internet and phone. Installation is $50.
After a year it goes up to $64.90 + $4/mo. Only bad part is thay can't transfer my existing number because I'm with Close Call America right now.
Does anyone have any experience with ABB phone service?
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Post by Mike on Apr 27, 2007 19:25:31 GMT -4
Downside to Voip: 911 doesn't work, If you are actively downloading on the internet the clarity drops, the more people using the cable internet in your area decreases speed and drops clarity, the power goes out you have no phone service... stick with land line.
Shoreterp.. who told you you can't switch to ABB phone service from CloseCall? If CCA told you that, it's a lie, I used to work for them... and worked there for 5 years prior.
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Post by shoreterp on Apr 27, 2007 19:44:30 GMT -4
Downside to Voip: 911 doesn't work, If you are actively downloading on the internet the clarity drops, the more people using the cable internet in your area decreases speed and drops clarity, the power goes out you have no phone service... stick with land line. Shoreterp.. who told you you can't switch to ABB phone service from CloseCall? If CCA told you that, it's a lie, I used to work for them... and worked there for 5 years prior. The rep from Atlantic Broadband told me that. He said that they can transfer Verizon but not CCA. I need to get high speed internet because I'm going to be telecommuting once a week. Getting the phone AND internet is only like $10/month more than just getting the high speed internet due to that special they are running. I have a cell phone for back up in/when the internet phone goes out so I may give it a try. But I REALLY want to keep my current number. Maybe I'll call CCA and see what they say.
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Post by falgar25 on Apr 27, 2007 20:57:50 GMT -4
CCA numbers: I was told that ABB could give me a number anywhere they had a point of presence. For instance, I believe I could have gotten a North Carolina number if I wanted (I didn't). Perhaps your CCA number doesn't belong to the right area for it to be available to ABB.
911: This should work (I haven't tried it). With a "normal" phone, the number is tightly coupled to your home address; after all, that's where the wires go. With VOIP, they register the modem's network address to your house. As long as you don't move the modem they should know where you're calling from. (With Vonage it's a bit more difficult since they sell that service by telling you that you can move the modem). (Note2: things are even trickier with a cell phone. GPS is one option, determing an approximat location by the tower you are using is another, but all they really have to go on is what you tell them. Still, no one uses 911 service as a reason to not get a cell phone)
Power: My ABB modem came with a battery that claims to be able to run the system for 8 hours or more. My cordless phone won't work and my internet may not work, but the standard, corded phone should work. I haven't had a chance to try that yet.
I haven't noticed any degradation on the phone while working on the internet. But that might be because I don't multitask very well and if I'm talking on the phone my internet activity tends to decrease.
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Post by falgar25 on Apr 27, 2007 21:18:14 GMT -4
Unless you are willing to cancel in a year or so, and deal with any and all aggravation that might bring, don't be too quick to jump at an introductory offer. I have ABB phone and internet and I like both. I would recommend it to anyone. However, I bought into it knowing what it was going to cost in the long run. Purchasing the service based on a cheap introuctory offer might get you into something that's very inconvenient to get out of once the price changes.
Does CCA charge a per month rate or only a usage rate? One way to keep your CCA number would be to use call forwarding. Tell your CCA phone to forward calls to your ABB number. That way, people could call on either number but both would ring on your home phone.
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