Yesterday the FCC announced new, expanded rules enforcing net neutrality, and they’ve set aside the next 60 days for public debate. Get ready to hear all sorts of creative end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it arguments from opponents like AT&T. We’ve checked out the official document (pdf) and below we summarize the changes that are open to public discussion for the next two months.
voip
Vonage Sends 14 New Modems To Replace Customer's Broken One
By 10.21.09
My Linh’s Vonage modem stopped working, so she called to request a replacement under the terms of her service agreement. Vonage was happy to oblige. So happy, in fact, that they sent her 14 modems instead of one via UPS—but then couldn’t figure out how to get UPS to come pick them up again. Hey, they do VOIP, not logistics.
Will You Try To Drop Your Voice Plan Now That There's VoIP On The iPhone?
By 10.7.09
Justin says he has done something that many iPhone users have discussed, but haven’t been able to accomplish. He claims that AT&T let him drop the voice plan from his account, and plans to use VoIP in order to make any voice calls he needs. Is this even possible? Is it a good idea?
Skype On iPhone Gets Thumbs Up From AT&T
By 10.7.09
If you’ve been waiting for a chance to use Skype on your iPhone over AT&T’s network to save on international calls or supplement your calling plan’s minutes, your day has come. After a little nudge from the FCC, the company has reversed its ban on VOIP apps on its data network, and will now let you Skype away until you run out of people to call or things to say.
Should Airplane Passengers Be Allowed To Make VoIP Calls?
By 9.30.09
Until now, airplane cabins have been blessedly free from idle phone chatter thanks to FAA regulations. Now, thanks to the introduction of wi-fi on commercial flights, it’s time to ask: should passengers be able to use Skype, Google Voice, or another VoIP service of their choice to make phone calls in the air?
Three Ways To Use Google Voice On Your iPhone
By 8.12.09
Apple may not feel like you’re ready to take advantage of Google Voice, but luckily Jobs and his legion can’t lock you out of every potential way to access the service. (Yet.) Here are three paths to GV you can use today, no permission needed from the Applelord.
Having Problems With Skype Technical Or Customer Service? Use Twitter And, Well, Skype
By 5.12.09
A lot of Consumerist readers use Skype. (I mostly use it to call my cell phone when I can’t find it, but I also use SkypeIn for my business line.) Many of said readers, such as George, have technical or billing problems with Skype, but can’t get a response out of the Web-based customer support system. What should they do?
Vonage Silently Adds "Optional" Feature, Refuses To Refund Your Money
By 2.25.09
We’re having a hard time figuring out how Vonage can justify pulling their “Visual Voicemail” scam on customers without even offering the option of a refund, but that’s exactly what they’re doing to Daniel. They quietly turned on the feature over a year ago. You’d think in a year of logging onto the website, an observant customer would catch that sort of thing—only Vonage makes it actually look like it’s not enabled on your control panel, all the better to sneak it past you. Here’s how they pulled it off with Daniel’s account.
FCC Investigating Whether Comcast Is Messing With Rival Phone Services
By 1.21.09
A few hours before Republican FCC chairman Kevin “Kevvy” Martin officially lost his job — he launched an investigation into whether Comcast is deliberately degrading rival phone services.
Vonage Says "If You Hang Up We'll Cancel Your Account"
By 1.10.09
We don’t know what the hell happened with this customer service situation, but somehow the CSR for Vonage decided that when Sarah abruptly hung up on him, she agreed by default to a service cancellation and $92 cancellation fee. That sounds like the kind of angry-CSR “mistake” that can be fixed with a second call—but according to the next CSR Sarah spoke to, that’s just Vonage policy. What?
Vonage Says Merry Christmas By Raising Rates On Cheapest Plan
By 12.27.08
William got an email from Vonage yesterday telling him they’re raising his bill starting in February.
By 3.28.08
../../../..//2008/03/28/wanna-cut-down-that-phone/
Wanna cut down that phone bill? Here’s 102 of the best free phone services on the internet. [VOIP-News]
Vonage Probably Owes AT&T $39 Million For Patent Infringement
By 12.24.07
Vonage has settled with AT&T over claims that the VOIP provider infringed on some patents held by the telecommunications giant.
Contact Vonage Executive Customer Service
By 12.13.07
Vonage has a handy web form which forwards all issues to their Executive Response Team. A reader says he submitted his issue and he got a callback and resolution within 3 hours. “A 3 hour turn around isn’t bad at all,” he writes, “considering I’d already wasted 2-3 hours on the regular phone support over the past 3 days.”
Appeal Rejected, Vonage Must Pay $117 .5 Million To Verizon
By 11.16.07
Vonage’s appeal was rejected by a U.S. appeals court, and so troubled VOIP provider Vonage will have to pay $117.5 million to Verizon as punishment for infringing their patents. In addition, Vonage will be required to donate 2.5 million to charity. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
Executive Email Carpet Bomb Against Vonage Results In $450 Credit
By 11.2.07
Score another point for consumers making it over the unyielding wall of “customer service.” Keith writes in about his recent struggles with Vonage, over an account he thought had been completely canceled six months earlier, “The carpet bomb instructions were inspired and within 3 weeks of sending my carpet bomb I got my resolve… The great part is I got my credit from the same person who stone walled me the months previous. Oh success is sweet.”
Security Firm Says Hackers Can Access Vonage Calls
By 10.26.07
It’s not a good week for Vonage. VoIP Security firm Sipera has announced that they’ve discovered a vulnerability in Vonage’s equipment that can allow hackers to take control of user accounts to intercept calls, make calls via the accounts, eavesdrop, or launch DoS attacks. Although most VoIP systems are about as secure as sending IM messages over a public wifi network (that is, not secure at all), Vonage has a couple of special problems with its Motorola adapters not authorizing requests, which leaves a special door open for bad people doing bad things. The problem also affects adapters from Grandstream and Globe7.
Vonage Destroys Router, Refuses To Issue Refund
By 9.15.07 — Updated: 10.11.16
I have been a loyal Vonage customer for 3 years. Within the last year (I can’t remember when) I purchased a new Linksys WRTP54G router to replace my existing router. This router has built-in Vonage voice ports. What Vonage and Linksys do not tell you when you purchase this router is that Vonage has 100% full access to your router and can do with it what they choose.
