VoIPo outgoing CNAM

[Russell]

As a residential customer, going from $18 to $19.50 for CNAM assurance is nothing, nada, nill, as compared to what we are gouged from Ma Bell, and still way cheaper than Cable TV's digital phone service.

I'm happy it's nada to you. It may be not nada to all. One reason I'm here is the great price - I believe $8.25 a month (iirc) to me (not $1. Adding $1.50 to it is a significant percentage increase. Whereas, having it as an option doesn't affect those who don't care about it.

Btw, I don't compare VOIPo costs to Ma Bell or Cable TV. I compare it to the other small VOIP providers. Just as if I buy a Chevy, I won't look at a Cadillac and tell myself how much I saved :-).

[voipinit]

^ x2

Ma Bell is extremely reliable and extremely expensive. Next is phone thru cable providers, very reliable and expensive. Then all the other VOIP carriers, reliable (mostly) and inexpensive. You gotta compare apples to apples.

[stevech]

Agree- 5 nines POTS. But this thread isn't about reliability, but the lack of, or an option for, outgoing caller ID name (CNAM).

Reliability has been great with VoIPo in 6 months (knock-wood). I hope they continue so - VoIPo is my third try at VoIP via cable modem. Other than this CNAM issue, it's been excellent.

[stevech]

I'm happy it's nada to you. It may be not nada to all. One reason I'm here is the great price - I believe $8.25 a month (iirc) to me (not $1. Adding $1.50 to it is a significant percentage increase. Whereas, having it as an option doesn't affect those who don't care about it.

Btw, I don't compare VOIPo costs to Ma Bell or Cable TV. I compare it to the other small VOIP providers. Just as if I buy a Chevy, I won't look at a Cadillac and tell myself how much I saved :-).

I think that in the next 3 years the PUCs will drop the regulated POTS industry such that ye ole Class 5 switch will go away. And POTS too. And the copper wire infrastructure will deteriorate to a corroded, squirrel-eaten mess in short order. (U-Verse, beware). So VoIP/cellular we go.

Lower price comes from 12 month pre-pay which I will do when the WAF for VoIP ("the toy phone" due to past transgressions of rotten QoS) threshold is passed, as I understand -to cut the cord with POTS which I really want to do. So I pay $15+3.

I have to overcome the past horror stories in WAF due to ViaTalk (yeech) and one other. The CNAM is a must-have.

As to the automobile analogy, yes, but I can opt for upgrades on cars too.