VoIP is Ready!
A comparison site for the next generation of phone service
 
Broadband Phone Services
Broadband phone services are the next generation of phone service. While they use Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology, they are closer to a plug-and-play solution than previous implementations of VoIP. All companies send their customers a device which you plug your touch-tone phone and your broadband Internet connection into -- that's it! You just pick up the phone, there's a dialtone, and you can start making calls. For the majority of subscribers, it literally takes less than five minutes to setup and most users agree that the quality of their new broadband phone is equal or better than their traditional phone.
 
  CallVantage
(AT&T)
VoiceWing
(Verizon)
VoiceGlo
BroadVox Direct
 
 
 
Features:
  
 
 
     Manage via web:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
 See DSLReports for reviews of this provider.
     Manage via phone:
  
Yes
No
 Yes
No
No
No
     CallerID Number:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
     CallerID Name:
  
Yes
Partial
 Yes
No
No
No
     Outgoing CallerID Number:  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
     Outgoing CallerID Name:
  
No
No
 No
No
No
No
     CallerID Block (*67):
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
 Yes No
     CallerID Block (permanent)  
Yes
No
 No
Yes
No
No
     Custom Incoming CallerID3:
  
Yes
No
 Yes
No
Yes
No
     Call Waiting:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
 Yes
     Call Waiting + CallerID:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
No
     Call Waiting Disable:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
No
  
     Call Transfer:
  
Yes
Yes
 No
Yes
No
Yes
  
     Return Call (*69):
  
Yes
Yes
 No
Yes
Yes
No
  
     Repeat Dial:
  
Yes
Yes
 No
Yes
Yes
No
  
     Speed Dial:  
Yes
No
 Yes
No
Yes
Yes
  
     3-Way Calling:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
 
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
     Ring Multiple Lines:  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
No
No
No
  
          All at once:  
Yes
On 800# + virtual
 Yes
No
No
No
  
          Random:  
No
On 800# + virtual
 No
No
No
No
  
          Sequential:  
No
On 800# + virtual
 Yes
No
No
No
  
          Ring non-service line:   Yes Yes No No No No  
     Voicemail:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
          Check via phone:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
          Check via web:
  
No
Yes
 Yes
No
Yes
No
  
          Notify different addresses:  
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
          Email w/ attach:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Partial
Yes
No
  
          Email w/o attach:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
No
No
No
  
          Stutter tone indicator:  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
No
  
          Visual message indicator:  
Yes
Yes
 No
Yes
Yes
No
  
     Blocking:
  
 
 
          Anonymous:
  
Yes
No
 No
Yes
No
No
  
          Telemarketer:
  
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
          Do Not Disturb:
  
Yes
No
 Yes
Yes
Yes
No
  
          Scheduled Do Not Disturb:   Yes No Yes No No No  
          International (outgoing):
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
          411 (outgoing):
  
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
          By incoming number:
  
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
     Call Forwarding:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
          Scheduled:   Yes No No No Yes No  
     Network Unavailable Forward:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
No
Yes
No
  
     Conference Room:
  
Yes$
No
 Yes
No
No
No
  
     Hunting:
  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
No
No
No
  
          Ring multiple phones
          (at same time): 		  Yes No No No No No  
 
No
Yes$
 No
No
No
No
  
     Additional Lines:
  
Yes$
Yes$
 No
No
No
Yes
  
     Additional Numbers:
  
Yes$
Yes$
 No
Yes$
Yes
No
  
     Number Portability:
  
Partial
Partial
 Partial
Partial
Yes
Partial
  
     Local Information (311)   No Yes No No No No  
     Directory Assistance (411):
  
Yes$
Yes$
 Yes$
Yes
Yes
No
  
     Emergency Services (911):
  
No
Partial†
 Yes
Yes
Partial†
No
  
     Compression:
          
 
          G.711 (uncompressed)   Yes Yes
Yes
 No
Yes
Yes
  
          G.729   No No
No
 Yes
No
No
  
          G.723   No No
No
 No
No
No
  
          G.726 32   Yes Yes
No
 No
Yes
No
  
          G.726 24   No No
No
 No
No
No
  
          G.726 16   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Filtering:4
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Always gets forwarded:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Always rings:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Always goes to voicemail:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Always busy:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Always not-in-service:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
          Email notification:
  
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
  
     Click-2-Call:   No Yes Yes No Yes
No
  
           
 
Supported Devices:          
 
     Cisco ATA-186:   Yes Yes
No
 No
Yes
No
  
     8x8 DTA-310:   Yes No
No
 Yes
No
No
  
     Sipura SPA-2000:   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Grandstream BT:   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Grandstream HT:   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Xten X-Lite:   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Xten X-PRO:   Yes Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
     SJLabs SJPhone:   Yes Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
     Asterisk PBX:   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     Pulver WiSIP   Yes No
No
 No
No
No
  
     VoiceGlo MTA   No No
No
 No No Yes  
     GloPhone   No No No No No Yes  
     AT&T MTA   No No Yes No No No  
     Linksys PAP2/NA:   Yes Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
     Linksys RT31P2:   Yes Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
     Linksys WRT54GP2:   Yes Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
     Motorola VT10005V:   No Yes
No
 No
No
No
  
                 
Free calling to:
          
 
     Canada:  
No
Yes
 Yes
Yes
No

Partial

  
     Free World Dialup (FWD):  
Yes
No
 No
Yes
No
No
  
     IAXtel:  
Yes
No
 No
No
No
No
  
           
 
International Rates:   Compare Compare Compare Compare  
     Pre-paid requirement:   No No No No
Yes
Yes
  
                 
Rate centers:  
1517
2000+
 ?
2400
1591
?
  
           
 
Support:          
 
     Email:  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
     Telephone:  
Yes
Yes
 Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  
           
 
Activation Charge:
  
$0.00
$29.99
 $0.00
$29.95
$39.95
$20.00
  
     Coupons available:
  
Yes1
Yes1
 No
Yes1
No
Yes
  
Termination Charge:
  
$0‡
$0‡
 $59.99
$0
$60.00
$0
  
Trial Period:  
30 days
14 days
 30 days
30 days
30 days
14 days
  
Regulatory Fees:   $0 $1.508 $0 $0
$0
$0
  
 
 
 
Business Unlimited Plan:
   $45.99
$49.99
 --
$59.95
--
$49.99
  
Residential Unlimited Plan:
  
$24.99
$24.99
 $24.99
$19.95
$34.95
$29.99
  
Regional Plans:
  
$14.99 & $25.99
$14.99
 $19.95
--
--
 $19.99
 
     Minutes Included:
  
200 & 600
500
 500
--
--
--
  
     Rate per minute:
  
3.9¢
3.9¢
 --
--
--
3.9¢
  
 
 
 
Score:
  
78 of 98
= 80%
46 of 98
= 47%
 38 of 98
= 39%
35 of 98
= 36%
33 of 98
= 34%
20 of 98
= 20%
  
                 
Exclusive Features:
  
27
3
 1
0
0
0
  

1 P8 and Vonage "coupons" are part of a referral program. All coupons may be found by searching Google.
3 Custom incoming Caller-ID allows you to configure what will show up on your Caller-ID display when a certain phone number calls.
4 Filtering is a feature where you specify the phone number of the person that will be calling you and have that call handled a special way.
8 $1.50 Regulatory Recovery Fee charged per phone number on every line (including free fax line).
9 Only as part of the Find Me Follow Me feature
$ Available at an additional cost.
‡ There is no termination fee if the ATA is returned upon termination.
† From Vonage TOS: The Company does offer a 911-type dialing service that is different in a number of important ways from traditional 911 service. You acknowledge and understand that 911-type dialing is NOT automatic. You must successfully activate the 911 dialing feature by following the instructions from the "Dial 911" link on your dashboard. You acknowledge and understand that you cannot dial 911 from this line unless and until you have received a confirming email. Once you have received a confirming email that 911 dialing has been successfully activated, you may dial 911 as needed. When you dial 911, your call is routed from the Vonage network to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or local emergency service personnel designated for the address that you listed at the time of activation. You acknowledge and understand that when you dial 911 from your Vonage equipment you will be routed to the general telephone number for the PSAP or local emergency service provider, and may not be routed to the 911dispatcher(s) who are specifically designated to receive incoming 911 calls using traditional 911 dialing. As described herein, this 911-type dialing currently is NOT the same as traditional 911 or E911 dialing, and at this time, does not necessarily include all of the capabilities of traditional 911 dialing. Update:Vonage has implemented an E9-1-1 solution in Rhode Island which is available to RI customers regardless of the area code selected and is testing the solution in other markets.
 
This website is a source of information about Voice-over-IP services. Our goal is to provide the most accurate information about the sites reviewed. This information was gathered by building a list of every feature I could find mentioned and then try to get an answer from the services (via phone/email) or find it myself. Please submit additional information and any corrections to us at voip@roffe.net.
Thanks to DSLReports and their users for the vast amounts of information they have provided on this subject.
VoicePulse is a trademark
of VoicePulse Inc. Vonage is a trademark of Vonage Holdings Corp. Packet8 is a registered trademark of 8x8, Inc. Broadvox is a trademark of Broadvox, LLC. AT&T CallVantage is a trademark of AT&T Corp. VoiceWing is a service mark of Verizon Communications Inc. VoiceGlo is a service mark of theglobe.com, Inc.