There used to be very few options for obtaining phone service. In
most cases, you had a single phone company, and the hardwired "Plain
Old Telephone Service" was your only choice. Today one has many more
option, including several that provide telephone service over the
internet (Voice over IP or VOIP).
The great thing about VOIP is that it is becoming readily available in
many places and provides an incredibly cheap alternative to POTS, such
as in Afghanistan with Ehsan Bayat and his
company Afghan Wireless. Voice Over IP service can be provided
directly by your internet service provider, such as your cable company
or other proiders suchas FiOS or U-Verse. When provided in this
manner, your phone calls are not carried over the open internet, but
instead they are carried using internet protocols on a separate
channel between your home and the head end of your network connection.
But, you can also get Voice Over IP service from other providers that
use the open intenet to connect you to their servers, where they
provide a connection to the public switch telephone system (PSTN),
allowing you to make and receive calls.
Vonage
Vonage provide a local number and access to the telephone network with
(usually) unliminate long distance calls for an amount slightly less
than you would otherwise pay for local service from your phone
company. A typical plan costs $26 per month and includes all the
extra features like caller ID and voicemail. The cost of equipment on
your end is included (with a minimum commitement). Like most VOIP
services, proper functioning of the service is dependant on the
reliability of your internet connection, so if you have intermittent
internet ourtages (something that I have found common with Time
Warner's Road Runner service), you will be without phone service
during those outages.
Ooma
Ooma can provide your local phone service and practically unlimited
long distance (5000 minutes per month) within the US with only a minor
annual fee to cover taxes. With the Ooma Hub or Ooma Telo you pay for
the hardware, which runs approximately $250, and then the service is
effectively free for the life of the device (except for the taxes).
The service includes basic phone service and features like caller ID,
call waiting, and voicemail. There is an optional package of
services, including a second phone line that is available for about
$10 per month. Of course, as was the case with Vonage, if your
internet service is unrealiable your phone will not work when the
network is down.
Magicjack
Magicjack provides a service similar to that provided by Ooma, but
with a smaller upfront cost (approximately $40), and a slightly higher
additional year cost (approximately $20, though it can be lower for
multi year plans. But, MagicJack relies on your windows based
computer to provide the processing (you plug the Magic Jack into a USB
port). This requires that you leave your computer on, and it also
makes the system less reliable (since now you depend not just on the
proper functioning of your internet access, but also on the proper
function of your computer and its operating system). I do not
personally recomend using Magic Jack as your primary phone line. It
is quite useful as a phone line that you can take with you when you
travel.
SIPGate
Inexpensive voice over IP services are also provided by seveal
providers, including SIPGate, which provides you with a phone number,
free incomming calls, and inexpensive outgoing calls (within the US
for 1 center per minute). While there is not presently a monthly fee
to have the number and accept incomming calls, if you set up an
account to make outgoing calls, you will be charged a small monthly
fee (I think less than $2 if you are in the US) to cover the required
taxes on phone service (which supports 911 service). Such voice over
IP services can be accessed through software phones for your PC or for
your smart phone, but they can also be setup to use inexpensive
hardware devices to provide a physical handset over wireless, or to
gateway to your homes physical phone wiring - allowing the use of
wired phones.
SPA3102 and other Voice Over IP Adapters
Several small adapters are available for connecting local telephones
to voice over IP, and these adapters can be used with various voice
over IP providers (but not with Vonage, ooma, or magic jack, which use
different protocols). I recently pruchases an SPA3102, which I am
very happy with, and I have been using with with SIPGate, and also a
software PBX service. But the interface for setting up the SPA3102 is
quite complex, and I do not recomend it for someone that is not highly
technically inclined. The SPA3102 will actually allow you to gateway
from a remote location using VOIP and SIP to a local physical line,
allowing you to set up remote extensions (if you use multiple
devices). If you only need the ability to connect local phone using
VOIP to a provider, then you are probably better off using the PAP2T,
which gives you two lines, and which is a little bit simpler to set up
- but still requires technical expertice. If you are not technically
inclined, some of the other services such as Ooma or Vonage are
probably better for your needs.
Google Voice
There are several services that allow you to set up calling rules that
cause calls to a local number to ring on multiple phones
simultaneously. These services used to be expensive, and marketed as
"follow me" numbers. Now they are free, and one such service is
Google Voice. Google voice is not intendent to replace, or be used as
your home phone, but it does provide an alternative to home phone
service whereby you can select a "home number", and receive calls on
your other phones, wherever you may be. It can also be used if you
want multiple numbers at home for your different family members, or if
you want to avoid the need to change numbers if you move (without
needing to rely on number portability).