SunRocket VoIP Telephone Service

SunRocket VoIP Telephone Service
Overall Rating: 8/10
Acquired November 2005

**UPDATE** July 18, 2007: Apparently, SunRocket has just gone out of business (find out more here and here). As much as I like the service and options, it seems that the company went bankrupt without warning to its subscribers. I've had spotty, intermittent service on my SunRocket phone so far. I'm hoping this will hold out until the equipment for my new VoIP carrier, ViaTalk, arrives (look for a review in the near future).

Overview: Since my primary phone will always be my mobile, an expensive land line just didn't seem to be wort the money. I was going to just stick with the mobile phone option until I saw an ad in Wired magazine for SunRocket. Not only was the service very inexpensive, but they were also giving away a pair pf Uniden cordless phones. After signing up for the $199 per-year unlimited plan, I had two decent phones, two phone numbers (handy to keep work and personal separate), and bonus features like call forwarding and email alerts. All this for less than $17 per month.

Upside: I very much liked having two phone numbers, and the voicemail alerts are very handy too. The best part, though, is the price. You really can't beat $17.

Features: The $199 Unlimited plan (there are other options if you like) offers the following features: 3-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, call logs, call waiting, distinctive rings, do not disturb, Find Me, SimRing, and others.

Downside: Since this is VoIP, you will experience occasional glitches. Sometimes I'd have to try two or three times to connect a call, but that was rare. Also, the "widget" (SunRocket's VoIP adapter) prioritizes your voice calls. This is good for when you're on a call, but bad for download speeds if you need to use the phone at the same time.

Verdict: I love the SunRocket service, and have been almost evangelical about it to my friends and family. I highly recommend it.