🚀 go-pugleaf

Mark Carroll wrote:

> In article <ka6se.44411$iu.43421@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com>,
> R S Prigan  <NO-SPAM-TO-rprigan@insight.rr.com> wrote:
>>
>>Has anyone tried Insight or Time Warner cable phone?
>>
>>What's your experience been like?
> 
> We haven't, but we have used Vonage and Lingo with a Time Warner cable
> modem, so maybe this is still of interest if you already have one of
> those.
> 
>>What do they actually charge?  Especially, what fees and taxes are added
>>to the rack rate??
> 
> Good question. They certainly don't add on a lot for the VoIP services
> that we use. I could dig up our latest bill if you like, but largely
> it's been enough for me to know that both Vonage and Lingo are way
> cheaper than any traditional land-line we previously had. Mind you, we
> would be paying for the cable modem anyway: if we weren't, the
> arithmetic would look rather different.
> 
> Heh, I only just noticed that previously we were using audio
> communications to transport digital data, and now we are using digital
> communications to transport audio. No doubt everybody else noticed
> that we had such a reversal of layering ages ago, but I'd not thought
> about it like that before.
> 
> -- Mark
Follow up ..

I'm looking at some VoIPs too:  Vonage, Packet8, VoicePulse (not avail 614
yet!), Lingo. Their deals are good, but IFF Insight did not add all the
fees, they could be just as good.

Insight lists a basic package with unlimited local calls, called ID, call
waiting, and 60 minutes extended area toll calls for 23.60. (Looks like TW
and WOW are more expensive?!) Insight then gives a multiservice discount of
10.00 for users with another service!  ...  BUT, a sales rep. tells me they
then tack on the 5.39 + 3.26 in fees and taxes, like the "regular" phone
providers do ... so the total is like 32.25 - 10 = 22.25  !!

Insight is currently NOT VoIP, but a service over another cable channel
(separate frequency). **** Apparently they ARE going to go to VoIP at some
time.  I wonder if that will change the fees and taxes situation, and make
them cheaper??  **

I read elsewhere that there might actually be an *advantage* to some of the
cable provider's services in that they run them over a separate network, to
be able to counter congestion when the network branch has too many nodes --
and to provide backup power, etc.

Q - Regarding your comment on the ironies of modulation going the opposite
direction from previously,  ...  Have you had any experience using a modem
to send/receive faxes with your VoIP?  Some providers talk about selling
add on for fax service, but I think this is just to get a dedicated fax
line and number?  Have you encoutered difficulties with the essentially
double modulation demodulation of sending / receiving faxes over VoIP line?

Thanks

RSP