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Is Ma Bell a thing of the past?

By
Education & Training with Merrell Institute ~ Appraisal Education Network

Not just Ma Bell, or the Bell systesm, but regular line phones versus the Internet phones with VOIP.

I have a regular phone from Verizon (a Ma Bell spin off) It costs me for all the bells and wistles $ 90 per month

My VOPI phone is the house (VONAGE) is $ 35.00 per month

and now T-Molbile is $ 10 per month

Will they eventually pay us to make phoen calls.

www.voip.com is one we have at a vacation phone and it is an annual charge of $ 200 and thats it

The newest phone is the magic jack  www.magicjack.com and it cost me $ 35 for the jack, which is plugged into my laptop of regular phone. As long as the computer has high speed internet access, it then gets plugged into a regual phone and you can call anywhere at anytime

The cost $ 35.00 1 time fee and then Annual fees of $ 20 per year- That is under $ 2 bucks a month or $ .40 cents per week.

What's happening to our phone costs?

Figured I would share my investigation

Comments(6)

Patrick Lambert
ALLY Real Estate - Waikoloa, HI
Hawaii Real Estate Expert

I didn't use a land line for 4 years. Then I switched offices to a company out of daily driving range and had to get a land line for fax use. What's ironic is that the first time I go to get a fax I am out of ink. I tried and tried to get it to go through the computer but could not. The seller who I was awaiting the fax from had tried a dozen times the computer would just not pick up. So, then I ended up getting an EFAX account and am again not needing the regular land line. What's this magic jack?

Aug 18, 2008 10:05 AM
Jane Wallace
HomeSmart Realty - Denver, CO
CRS | SRES, Denver Real Estate

Interesting, i just got a blackberry and found out it can be teathered to my laptop so I got rid of my broadband card and my comcast phone account, now I have 2 cell phones. I am going to check out magicjack

Aug 18, 2008 10:07 AM
Thomas Hargreaves
TriStar Financial Services - Eugene, OR

How do you like Magic jack.  I have heard from several people that the connections are not that good, and customer service is non-existent..

Aug 18, 2008 10:40 AM
Bill C. Merrell
Merrell Institute ~ Appraisal Education Network - Bohemia, NY
Ph.D. - Merrell Institue

Majic Jack is so cheap I consider it a freebee.

I cn't se how they would have customer service when the fee is a flat $ 35 including the software the machine and no other charges-

Just my opinion

Bill

Aug 18, 2008 11:19 AM
Alisa McKeel Willson
Appraisal Pros in Texas - Huntsville, TX
Certified Res. Appraiser

I have two collegues who use SKYPE which is a phone over the internet thing, I think.  When talking to both of them I have had them hang up on me -- not purposely -- so I am hesitant to try something like that.

I saw the Majic Jack advertisement on TV and wondered about it -- thanks for the report on it.

 

Alisa

Aug 18, 2008 11:27 AM
Jim Dunlap
Roberts Realty - Yucca Valley, CA

Although I use Verizon in my office, I have vonage in my home and love it.  My wife calls Asia all the time, and our phone bill was $400+ per month.  Now with Vonage its $35 per month.  An intersting note, i collect antique telephones and they all work on Vonage.

Aug 18, 2008 01:47 PM