My folks have an SBC Global POTS line (US, Northern California) whose number I can't port to Google Voice. Would like to find them a good VoIP provider I can port the number to to save them $$. Would like it to be OBi friendly have voicemail and plus if it has some fairly easy to use online system for getting at preferences and voicemails from the computer.
This is a secondary # for them, so don't need E911 (though maybe that's mandatory these days). Calls will be almost exclusively inbound.
Edit: Seems like voip.ms is popular so checking them out.
Well, who's lazy here? There are hundreds of discussions in this forum about service providers.
Take a look at Callcentric, Phonepower, and voip.ms. They all offer the features you mentioned, including E-911. Each can be set up easily from the OBiTALK portal.
Never set up a home phone without E-911 service, especially for older users. Sooner or later, an emergency will occur. If somebody is having a heart attack, stroke, or major bleeding, and shock sets in, every second counts, people's thought processes may become confused, and a stranger in the house may not know that picking up the phone to dial 911 won't work.
Thanks. I'm definitely the lazy one. Will take a look and appreciate the thoughts on E911.
Quote from: Variant on January 04, 2016, 06:26:55 PM
My folks have an SBC Global POTS line (US, Northern California) whose number I can't port to Google Voice. .
While you can't port directly from landline to GV, you can go through a wireless provider.
Pretty much any of them except Cricket.
T-Mobile is a common choice as they have a low startup cost and a good record with porting.
Once ported and active with T-Mobile you can then port to Google.
Total cost around $30 if you already have a phone that works with a T-Mobile SIM.
Have you explored this?
Quote from: STDog on January 13, 2016, 07:58:06 AM
Pretty much any of them except Cricket.
May I ask what's wrong with Cricket? I have one of their unactivated SIM cards lying in the drawer and was planning to use it.
The "big four" mobile carriers (AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless) are very experienced and well-staffed with regard to porting departments. Some of the subsidiary brands or re-sellers (MVNOs) are not; they can be utterly clueless and incompetent. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for: the lower monthly price for mobile phone service has to come from somewhere, like customer support.
Over on the Google Voice help forum, we consistently see the worst porting problems from H2O wireless, Consumer Cellular and Cricket.
Save yourself the grief. Get a prepaid SIM from T-Mobile or AT&T GoPhone.
In addition to what Steve said, Cricket Wireless, like, Google Voice accepts ports from a wireless carrier only. They will not port numbers classified as wireline (landline).