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Best Reviewed
VoIP
- Best voice quality and reliability Cable-company VoIP *Est. $12
- Most VoIP features Vonage *Est. $10
- Hardware VoIP with no monthly fee Ooma *Est. $225
- Best Free VoIP Voice Calls from Gmail *Est. $0
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Cable-company VoIP
Best voice quality and reliability
- Best call quality, reliability
- Professional installation
- Often includes battery backup
- Trouble scheduling installation, support
- International calls cost extra
- No choice of company
- Best companies vary by region
For reliable connections and call quality, cable VoIP ranks higher, in general, than other VoIP services. You can call 911 using cable VoIP, and several cable companies even give you battery backup so you can make calls when the electricity is out. Cable VoIP costs more, however, and since cable companies divide territories, you can't choose which cable company to use. Reviews find that the same cable company can rank at the top in one region, but not in another. Bundling phone service with TV and Internet services can save money, though. For the least expensive VoIP, however -- with no service fees after the initial hardware purchase -- reviews recommend Ooma (*Est. $225 to $235).
We found the best comparison ratings of cable VoIP at ConsumerReports.org, where major cable companies' phone services are ranked along with other VoIP and landline services. Keynote Systems, an industry analyst, includes Comcast in its tests of six VoIP providers. The latest big survey by J.D. Power and Associates rates cable companies by region, and a somewhat smaller survey by PCMag.com compares several cable companies with other providers. Other reviews -- at PC World, DSLReports.com, Wired and TopTenReviews.com -- cover Comcast, the dominant cable company, comparing it with other VoIP providers.
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This review compares major cable VoIP companies with other VoIP providers and several landline phone services, based on ratings from a survey of 69,000 readers. Ratings cover value, reliability, support and performance as well as overall satisfaction.
Review: Save a Bundle, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Feb. 2010
This review compares six VoIP services, giving top ranking to Comcast Digital Voice. Time Warner Digital Phone ranks well for reliability, and earlier VoIP reports here highlight different cable companies.
Review: VoIP Service Providers Competitive Study, Wave 6, Editors of Keynote Systems, Inc., Nov. 2008
This review of telephone services, based on a survey of 21,480 users, rates cable companies by region. In some cases, cable companies that rate well in one part of the country get lower ratings elsewhere.
Review: Telephone Service Provider Ratings, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, Sept. 2010
Cablevision Optimum Voice earns a Readers' Choice award here, based on a poll of nearly 20,000 readers. PCMag.com readers also rate Charter and Comcast cable VoIP.
Review: Readers' Choice Awards 2010: VoIP, Editors of PCMag.com
Probing the fine print, this review reports that Ooma's free calls are actually limited to 3,000 minutes per month (since raised to 5,000). Mitchell also looks at three other VoIP services, checking for monthly caps.
Review: For VoIP, What Part of 'Unlimited' Don't You Understand?, Robert Mitchell, InfoWorld, May 8, 2009
Comcast is the only cable company compared here with other VoIP providers. It has more than 40 user-written reviews, but not enough for editors to assign it an overall rating.
Review: Comcast Digital Voice, Editors of and Contributors to DSLReports.com
Comcast takes a hit in comparison tests at Wired. It's more expensive than the top-rated Lingo, Vonage and Gizmo, and charges for international calls. Comcast does earn praise for its professional installation, ease of use, tech support and call quality.
Review: Wired Magazine Test: VoIP Services, Aoife M. McEvoy, Oct. 23, 2007
Comcast performs poorly in reviews here. Editors criticize Comcast Digital Voice for its price (when unbundled) and lack of features, but note that unlike most VoIP phones, it's usable even when the electricity goes out.
Review: Comcast Review, Editors of TopTenReviews.com
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3 picks including: The New York Times…
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3 picks by top review sites.