Sunrocket Phone Service?

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

The husband and I have only been using cell phones for contact for the past year and a half or so... and, we're hoping to get a home-phone of some variety in the not-too distant future...

I've been hearing about Sunrocket phone service on the radio a lot, lately. $200/year for unlimited local and long distance calling... seems too good to be true... so, was wondering if any of y'all have used Sunrocket, know someone who used it, or have heard something about it? If so, fill me in on what you know...

If you haven't heard anything - check out their website (http://www.sunrocket.com/) and tell me if *you* would do it... if you wouldn't, what would you suggest?

 

[Angcuru]

Looks like a scam to me.

 

[ph34r]

Go to their site and read the Terms of Service. Doesn't sound that great to me...911 Emergency Dialing is an option you have to activate? That's probably where they get you by making you pay more to call for help if someone is trying to stab you. :\

 

[Krieg]

The 911 activation requirement is because it's an IP phone and doesn't tie into the regular phone network. It's not a deliberate scam.

Think of it sort of like satellite TV where you can't get local channels through the dish.

For a comparison Time Warner/Roadrunner's IP phone service is a flat $39.95 a month with similar features.

It is probably a legit service, but you have to ask yourself how long this company has been around and how likely they are to be in business by this time next year.

 

[Arnwyn]

Doesn't seem like a scam. I work in the telecommunications industry, so here's my perspective:

IP telephone service (also known as "Voice over IP" or VoIP) is different from standard telephone service - instead of using tried-and-true copper, it uses the internet to transport voice.

It's cheap, but does have some drawbacks. 911 service is one (though, in many cases, it's not available at all for VoIP users, so actually including it is pretty good). As well, with VoIP if the power goes out in your area, you lose your phone service - this won't happen with normal phone service on copper unless the power outage is massively wide-spread (rare to nonexistent). This is a fairly significant drawback.

As well, Krieg points out something important as well - as in, how long this company has been around. Getting into VoIP requires (relatively) little investment (especially compared to normal telephony!), so you can conceivably have a bunch of fly-by-night operations. However, if no contract is involved, you're in a bit better shape.

VoIP is fairly new technology, and some kinks have to be worked out. A nagging problem with the technology is some instability and dropped calls. This is improving constantly, but there's no comparison to copper.

Finally, you need a high-speed internet connection before you can use VoIP. Sunrocket's site does remind you of this, as well.

IMO, VoIP is still better for businesses than residential... but if you already have cell phones and have been comfortable using them, going with Sunrocket for 1 year might be worth it to try.

 

[MightySeity]

SunRocket is a GREAT Value

[edit: Welcome to ENWorld, MightySeity! Please look around a bit and enjoy yourself; post in the RPG threads, the fiction threads, and so forth. We'd prefer you not making your first thread be a product endorsement with a link to a website that benefits your financially.

Thanks!
Pielorinho]

 

[MightySeity]

SunRocket benefits everyone financially.

MightySeity, we don't allow spam in our forums, nor non-gaming related advertisements.

 

[reveal]

Wow. I didn't see what MightySiety posted, but he/she must be someone who scours the Interweb looking for places that Sunrocket is posted about. I mean, he/she just joined today; I'm assuming for this very reason.

Scary.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Wow. I didn't see what MightySiety posted, but he/she must be someone who scours the Interweb looking for places that Sunrocket is posted about. I mean, he/she just joined today; I'm assuming for this very reason.

Scary.

My thoughts exactly. Bizarre and scary.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Methinks he must work for them. It's a guess, since I missed the "product endorsement" ad he wrote...