DD just did a Google+ group video call with her friends. She was in TX, another was in NC, another in OH and the last in Korea. No charge The one in Korea is teaching and her HS students joined in with her to “talk to America”.</p>
<p>No landlines here. We use skype to talk long-distance with our D and my parents.</p>
<p>When the “no landline” trend started (eight years ago for us), my parents were “horrified” that someone wouldn’t want a landline. They felt it pegged you as being “unstable”, “ungrounded”, “undependable” - - somewhat like the opinions about those who rent vs. buy a home. LOL.</p>
<p>mimk- you can get fax service online for about $10-15/mo. You scan the documents and fax them via the service, no landline, access from any computer, saved copy of what you sent and when, the ability to go back and verify what you sent, proof of completion.</p>
<p>Vonage is a VOIP phone I have used for around 10 years. It will simul-ring my cell and whatever phone I have connected to the Vonage router. Vonage also includes many international countries in the basic plan (but watch those overseas cell phones with their $0.20-0.50 incoming call fees per minute) or Skype for the international calls.</p>
<p>^^ parent56, you should be upgrading your internet connection. Just got off the phone with ooma on another topic, but they told me the minimum speed to make ooma work is 385k down and 256k up, which is VERY VERY VERY sloooooow, apparently satellite is even slower… I have 18meg down and 1.5 meg up and I am paying $29.99 to Comcast.</p>
<p>The only problem with internet faxing is that you cannot have your phone number, which I published it for business purposes. it costs lot more for me to change that number than go to a service like myfax…now a days, incoming or out going faxes are email based on my own fax machine, using voip lines for faxing can have problems, nevertheless.</p>
<p>Regarding the alarm monitoring, there are cellular options available. Our alarm copmany will install the necessary equipment for $250, then it is $12/month (above the regular monitoring) for cellular monitoring. But since even bare-bones land-line service is $20/month, one would recoup the $250 initial investment in a little under three years.</p>
<p>Our alarm company says the cellular monitoring is “safer”, because with a land line someone could just cut your phone wire. I’m a little skeptical about that claim; I’m sure there must be technology to block cellular transmission. It jsut means that it will take a more techno-savvy burgular to break into our house.</p>
<p>You can even get a toll-free fax #
What I like best about efaxing is that you have proof that you sent it and exactly when and precisely which pages and a confirmation that it went through. I do find faxing to be behind the times; it is govt, it is larger companies which are stuck in a rut, it is people who do not want to learn to scan & email, I do not think I will still have a fax number is 10 years!</p>