I had been using Comcast Cable to receive both my cable TV service and my Internet Broadband service. I was getting great digital TV reception and almost all the movie channels as well as lightning fast computer internet connection. I even had a wireless internet network in my home which provided computer access to my computer, my wife’s computer which is a laptop from work and my Daughter’s computer. This was great but expensive. I had to pay Comcast, my cable company $150 a month for this great service.
I had regular land line telephone service from Verizon, which cost $39.95 a month base price for unlimited local and long distance access. However, when my bills came they were always $54.00 due to a plethora of fees, taxes and other charges as listed in totally unintelligible series of sheets included with each bill. This included no extra services that would increase my rate such as voice mail, extra 411 calls, in home wiring maintenance contracts, etc.
All in all I was paying $204 each month for all three services phone, internet, and cable TV. My yearly $2,448 communications and entertainment bill was draining my savings account. I had just paid about the same amount for a one week in Paris, France for my wife and myself. It looked like there would be no more of these.
Then a new service was offered by Comcast and many other cable companies. This was a new type of internet phone service called Voice Over Internet Protocol or VoIP. Instead of an analog phone line, your phone calls could be carried over the same cable as your cable TV and broadband internet connection. The cost was $99 per month for all three services for the first year. To match this Verizon came out with a similar but slightly cheaper package using DSL instead of cable internet connectivity, satellite TV service and of course regular landline telephone service which was already in place.
I chose to use Comcast for the first year and see how much their service would go up the second year. In addition, they gave me a year of free Showtime service. If Comcast went up too much after year 1, I could switch to Verizon’s package which will almost surely be a promotional rate for competitive reasons.
I have to report that my service was a little shaky at first, especially in the telephony area. This became much better after the first couple of weeks. I can use my computer and talk on the phone, while my Daughter watches cable TV all at the same time. I can’t detect any degradation of service while using multiple facilities, even when all three of us are on the computers at the same time. Repairs were made quickly and always for free, even when I messed things up by kicking over the router or purchased a new computer which they promptly attached to the network.
You may be wondering if there are any limitations on VoIP telephone service. None I could find with Comcast service. I get unlimited local and long distance phone service 24/7. I can call any landline number I have ever tried or cellular number for that matter. Information calls are free no matter how many you use. Unlike the information service on Verizon, if you get a number via information 411, they will dial it for you for free if you just press 1. Verizon used to charge 35 cents for each information dialed number. If the electricity goes off for any reason the phone still works.
