My World

After hearing so much about VoIP, I decided to take a closer look and see what it would cost me.

Vonage offers some different plans, from basic ($14.99 a month) to unlimited ($24.99 a month). Given that I would only get Vonage to call to Europe (after all, I have free minutes already to call anywhere within the U.S.), I looked more closely at the unlimited plan, as it was the only residential plan that mentioned international calling. Apparently, with this plan you already get free minutes to certain European countries such as the U.K. and France. Unfortunately, the Netherlands and Germany aren’t included, which are the two countries I would call the most. So, I would have to get an add-on package if I want this to be an affordable option for me. They have five different international calling plans with a cost varying from $6 a month to $15 a month, depending on which countries you would want included in your plan. For the Netherlands and Germany the Basic World Plan of $6 a month would suffice, so the total monthly cost (before taxes, fees, etc.) would be $30.99. The first month is more expensive, however, with some additional fees you’d have to pay, such as activation fees, shipping and handling, and the adaptor to make it all work (although you’re not forced to purchase this through them directly). With Vonage you are able to keep your current number (provided you have one, of course), but you are also able to choose any available area code within the U.S.

Speakeasy works in a similar way, but is much more expensive (could that be why I hadn’t heard of it before?). Or, that was my first thought. They actually offer plans that include broadband service, so even though a price of $83.90 a month might scare you away, you have to realize that you will no longer have your current monthly fee through your broadband provider – this will now go through speakeasy. They also offer plans of VoIP in combination with DSL or cable, which are a little bit cheaper, BUT these don’t include the “worldwide free calling” (which is free to 22 countries really…). I wondered what you could do if you didn’t want broadband, DSL, or cable through them. Apparently, you can also get a “simple” VoIP line that cost about $34 a month. Unfortunately they don’t advertise this very well, so I couldn’t find too many details on it. I guess they just want you to sign up for the broadband, as well! Just like Vonage, speakeasy also lets you keep your current number, if you so choose.

There is still something about VoIP that makes me hesitant about signing up. I worry that there are some hidden fees that they don’t tell you about unless you happen to ask the right questions. With Vonage that worry isn’t that prevalent, since it seems like they have a lot of information on their website. But, on speakeasy.com this isn’t the case. Maybe excluding information isn’t intentional on their part, but it seems odd that we are so used to finding everything on the internet and then coming across this site that doesn’t follow this standard. I just want to know what I’m getting myself into… without any BS. Doesn’t seem possible yet…