Home Phone Service Advice Needed

[xraytech]

I have Verizon home phone and internet service. I'm not thrilled with Verizon.
For a little less a month I can have AT&T wireless phone and internet.

My only hesitation about switching is that I was told that I wouldn't be able to use a rotary phone with the digital phone service.

Does anyone have digital phone service, if so what are your thoughts?
Also does anyone know of a way that I could use a rotary phone with digital phone service?

Sam

 

[NYCWriter]

Won't work.

I speak as someone with rotary dial phones.

The only way they'll work is with the old-fashioned telephone company.

What is it about Verizon you don't like? I've been using Verizon/Bell Atlantic/NYNEX/New York Telephone my whole life and I've never been happier.

 

[danemodsandy]

The Other Thing....

....That may not work with the digital phone service is 911 locating. If you call from a traditional land line, 911 has the address the instant they answer your call - which can save precious seconds if you're having a heart attack, or may save your bacon altogether if you've had a stroke and can't speak clearly. That is not true of cell phones or some digital services - you have to take the time to tell them where you are, and if you can't, it may be Goodbye, Charlie.

Whatever you get, find out whether 911 location goes with your new service, and figure out whether you think doing without 911 locating might be a problem or not.

 

[NYCWriter]

Not to mention ...

... being able to use the phones during a blackout, which is impossible with digital.

 

[xraytech]

What I don't like with Verizon is their customer service, as well s the increasing unreliability of the lines.

I never thought about the 911 thing

as for a power outage, I was informed I'd have a battery backup with 4 hours of use time, plus with a generator all would be fine.

I guess I'll have to stay with Verizon as I refuse to give up the rotary phone

 

[kb0nes]

While both power outage operation and 911 location services may not work with a VoIP digital phone service, I think its incorrect to make a blanket statement that this is always the case. Here in MN they have it set up so 911 location works in most areas and in most cases the modem has some form of backup battery onboard. One could also add a small computer UPS to the modem for additional power fail backup. In any case you need to ask your provider these questions to see how they answer them, both of course are very valid concerns!

Personally I maintain an old twisted pair TelCo line since nothing has ever come close to matching their reliability. I also use DSL for my Internet access since I won't give the cable company money, but I digress.

As for the legacy pulse dial option its a simple thing to just convert the pulses to DTMF to make the VoIP work. Just get the little adapter and install it down by the modem then all your pulse dial phones (and DTMF phones) will work fine. Most of these even have logic so you can get a # or * too, try that with a Bell 300 normally!! The adapters are in the $30-50 range typically. Here is the first one that Google spit out:

Rotatone Pulse to Tone Converter - Oldphoneworks

- Convert rotary dial to DTMF "touchtone" operation.- Use legacy equipment on tone-only lines.- Compatible with most VOIP services.- Add # and * functionality to your phone.- Provides last number redial functionality.- 7 programmable speed

www.oldphoneworks.com

 

[verizonbear]

Keep the Copper Line !!!

If you currently have copper line ( analog service) do not lose it !!! Verizon will not re-establish copper service once you cancel it or attempt to change back

 

[moparguy]

I have Verizon FiOS and have been very happy with it... and my dial phones work on it. Reliability has been good enough that I very rarely have to contact customer service, but when I do, I have to go through endless phone trees like just about every other company. When I finally get to a service rep, they have been very good. I prefer to maintain my landline rather than go all wireless. The main competitor in our area is Comcast, and I can't imagine ANY company with worse customer service than Comcast.

 

[rp2813]

I'll Second That

Keep your copper service.  I'm doing that with AT&T here.  I don't want U-Verse because it's VOIP.

 

The Rotatone device in the link above installs inside each individual phone.  You'd need one for every rotary set you have connected on the premises.

 

There was another type of pulse-to-tone converter being produced that could be installed on the interior wiring to make all rotary sets on the line transmit DTMF, but they're NLA because the manufacturer recently ceased operations. 

 

But -- since you are going to stick with copper, you don't need a converter, right Sam?

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

To use a rotary phone on a digital line you will need a pulse to tone converter.

DialGizmo - Pulse to Tone converter for VoIP lines changes decadec dialling to touch tone

The Dialgizmo pulse to tone converter box allows you to use any old rotary pulse dial phone on modern telephone systems including VoIP lines. DialGizmo has been specifically designed for use with VoIP equipment. You can even dial * and #.

www.dialgizmo.com

 

[danemodsandy]

Phil:

I didn't make a "blanket statement" about 911 locator service; I said some digital services don't include it, and that consumers should find out whether it's included and factor that into their decision-making process.

 

[NYCWriter]

Jeff ...

"Reliability has been good enough that I very rarely have to contact customer service, but when I do, I have to go through endless phone trees like just about every other company."

Two VERY good points here.

1. I've NEVER had to contact the telephone company for any service-related issue in the 30-odd years I've been a customer (with the exception of static and cutoff calls that the phone company determined were due to my lines being tapped).

2. If you think customer service is bad with Verizon, don't think it'll be any better with any other company. Case in point: I called both Dish and DirecTV on behalf of my building to inquire about wiring up all 52 apartments. The endless phone trees, passoffs, cutoffs, and blowoffs I got was maddening enough to just give up altogether. And this isn't just ONE individual calling, this is the president of an entire apartment building trying to hand them a potential $65,000 contract!

 

[launderess]

Verizon Is Working *VERY* Hard To Ditch Copper Line Service

Fire Island residents in areas that were damaged by SS Sandy are fighting Verizon's plans to move them to wireless or now it seems fiber service.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...-fire-island-stance-offers-fiber-service.html

Long story short the cost of keeping copper landline service is something Verizon wants to get out of. They claim that with increased cell/smart phone use along with fiber optic/Internet/cable phone service copper is no longer necessary and that the cost benefit ratio for them at least isn't great.

Verizon is also trying to get regulators in some areas such as parts of upstate NY IIRC to allow them to sell off their landline service to another.

When you contact Verizon today you are greeted with a message welcoming you to a "communications" and or "Internet" company, no longer a "phone company" as was the case with NYNEX or even Ma Bell.

As with the postal service and many other things Verzion and those supporting some of their tactics claim the only ones using landline copper service are mostly "older persons" who cannot or will not adapt to modern technology.

To some extent both sides are correct. In our building almost zero of the younger persons who move in have landline telephone service. They all use their cell/smart phones instead. Also number all over the USA are trending towards digital/cable telephone service or dropping it all together in favor of cell phone or similar gadgets.

 

[NYCWriter]

Just wait ...

... until we all start getting brain tumors from all this cell phone use.

See how fast copper lines come back into vogue.

 

[bluejay]

We still have our landline. I have a VoIP phone for work which I absolutely hate. No one can ever hear me on the blasted thing. We can hear our rotary outside and the connection is usually excellent. We've had a couple of outages in the last year or so, but I'm generally pleased with Verizon's service.

 

[petek]

I'm super happy with my Ooma phone system. I haven't tried a rotary phone with it because they're all packed away. After the initial purchase of the unit (approx $100) and optional wi-fi dongle or bluetooth chip.. Usually one or the other is included in the $100. ( I got the bluetooth chip included, had to buy the wifi dongle) So about $150 total. I pay $10 a month for N. America long distance, call/name display, 911 service, call manager, call blocking, voice mail which is also accessible on any pc and TWO phone numbers . You get to choose a 2nd incoming phone line free for any region of N. America.. letting friends elsewhere without long distance call you like it's a local call. With the bluetooth chip you can link your smartphone and turn your Ipad into a phone and use your Ooma account from any wifi hotspot instead of using your cell carrier minutes etc. It's wonderful and it was rated as the best home phone service by Consumer Reports. There's more features but I can't remember them all at the moment. Call quality is very good as well

 

[petek]

Oh yeah.. some other features.. you can have the Ooma ring your cellphone instead of your home phone, or ring both or just ring your cell phone if their system happens to be down which has never happened yet to me. Also if it goes down you can still retrieve your voice mails off your computer. It can also send voice to text voice messages. Buy one at Costco... if you don't like it , it's an easy return. Mine paid for itself in about 2 months after cutting the cord with Bell.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks for posting that link Louie.  It appears Dialgizmo is back in business.  It's much easier than opening up a phone and wiring a Rotatone into the guts of it, and a single Dialgizmo will convert all rotary sets deployed on the line. 

 

[wayupnorth]

Verizon

I worked for them and they sold off ME, NH, VT landlines to Fairpoint, and sold them Ma Bells old antique system. Fairpoint has tried their best, but is still having problems 5 years later. I still have phone and high speed internet still with them. Verizon had some questionable selloffs. #1 Hawaii Telcom, bankruptsy, #2 Phonebooks to Superpages, same thing. They sold off mid western landlines to Frontier recently and I hear they are having a bad time. Verizon wants wireless ONLY, no union workers.