Dial-Abroad.org - USA and World Phone Services, Comparisons, Reviews
broadband phone Providers

Packet 8
Editor's Choice

Packet 8 stands slightly above the other broadband phone providers in the comparison (although I really like what iConnectHere has done). It's an experienced provider that has gotten better with time. The $19.99 is a great deal. It comes with unlimited minutes to the USA and Canada if you are located in the USA, or 1000 min/mth (over 16 hours) if you live worldwide. You can also choose from other great plans. Packet 8 seals the deal by providing quality service and taking good care of their customers.


iConnectHere
Editor's Choice

iConnectHere has done a good thing. For just $6.99 per month you get broadband phone with all the great features and convenience. And they want to make the service equally available for people living in the USA and worldwide. In addition to the low monthly fee, you pay by the minute at super low rates (lower than the rates from Skype and the others here). This is an excellent way to go for so many people who simply don't need unlilmited calling plans. Sign up and take advantage of this great deal.

vonage VOIP

Vonage is another highly developed broadband phone service, and it's the market leader in the USA. The service quality is generally very good. The biggest problem with Vonage is the cost. The unlimited calling plan seems reasonable at $24.99/mth, but they quietly includes an additional $1.50 monthly fee and a 3 percent federal tax. That brings the real cost up over $27.00/mth. Vonage also has higher international rates, and if you live outside of the USA, Vonage will not ship an adapter to you. You can use the service worldwide, but adapters are only delivered to addresses in the USA. Vonage is still a good value, but it's not my first or second choice among these choices.

Broadband phone comparison table

Use the chart below to compare four of the best broadband phone services: Packet 8, iConnectHere, and Vonage. All these services offer clear connections and cheap rates worldwide. Compare the details and read my brief reviews. Then click any of the providers' names to learn more and sign up online.

Service Plans and Costs

 

  

Rating
4.5/5
4/5
  
4/5

Plan 1: Home

$19.99 unlimited
$6.99
pay per min
 
$24.99 unlimited

Plan 2:
Budget
$19.99 unlimited

--

  
$14.99
500 min

Plan 3: outside the USA

See notes below
$6.99
pay per min
  
See notes below

Plan 4: Business

$39.99 unlimited
--
  
$49.99 unlimited
 

The number of minutes (or "unlimited") refers to calls to and from the USA and Canada.

Only Packet 8 and iConnectHere deliver phone adapters to international addresses.

Packet 8 is available worldwide, but the $19.99 plan is reduced to 1000 minutes per month outside the USA. Vonage is available but not encouraged outside the USA.

Packet 8 has a 49.99 "global" plan with unlimited min to a long list of countries. iConnectHere has a 24.99 "worldwide" plan with 250 minutes to a list of countries.

Local # in the USA

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Non-USA Local #

No
Yes
$7.99/mth
  
No

Free Adapter

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Shipping Adapter
Free shipping to USA
$4.99 shipping worldwide
 
Paid shipping to USA only

Phone or adapter type

Uses Packet 8 phones and adapters
Linksys PAP2 or Cisco ATA compatible
 
Variety of phones and adapters

Int'l Rate Examples
Australia 3¢
Brazil 4¢
China 3¢
India 16¢
Japan 4¢
Mexico 5¢
Philippines 19¢
Russia 7¢
Thailand 6¢
Australia 3¢
Brazil 6¢
China 3¢
India 16¢
Japan 4¢
Mexico 5¢
Philippines 14¢
Russia 6¢
Thailand 9¢
  
Australia 5¢
Brazil 9¢
China 10¢
India 17¢
Japan 6¢
Mexico 6¢
Philippines 18¢
Russia 12¢
Thailand 12¢
  *Some plans from Packet 8 and iConnectHere include free int'l calling in the monthly fee. Check each provider's website for current rates. Calls to specific cities and cell phones (or premium numbers) may be charged at higher rates.
Special Features
   

Toll Free Number
Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Toll Free Rates and Fees

$4.99/mth
4.5¢/min
$6.99
10¢/min
  
$4.99/mth
4.9¢/min

 

 Packet 8: 100 min of free incoming calls then 4.5¢/min
iConnectHere: 60 min of free incoming calls then 10¢/min

fax send, Receive

Yes
Yes
Yes

 

 Faxing is still unreliable with broadband phone services, with results depending on the type of fax machine and other factors.

3-Way Calling

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Keep Own Phone #

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

 

 This only applies for users living in the USA. You may not be able to keep your current phone number depending on where you live and your local phone company. It may take up to 30 days to transfer your number to the broadband phone service.

Add'l Local Numbers

Yes
$4.99/mth
No
Yes
$4.99/mth

911 Service

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

e911
Yes
$1.99/mth
Yes
Free
 
Yes
$1.50*

 

911/ E911 services apply for users living in the USA. These features may only be available in specific locations, and broadband phone providers really cannot guarantee they will work. You should have an alternative means to call 911. Check with the providers carefully if this is an important issue for you. E911 means that when you dial 911 the operator will see your exact location displayed on a screen. This is very important to increase the response time in an emergency. You must go online and setup the E911 feature for it to work.

*Vonage charges a $1.50/mth "regulatory recovery fee" to cover the cost of E911 and other services. They don't mention this fee upfront, and it's hard to find. I've included it here because this is the most applicable place on this comparison.

Extra Features Included in the Basic Service
   

Free Calls to other users

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

 

 All these providers offer unlimited free calls worldwide to the broadband phones of other people using the same service.

Voice Mail

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Call Forward
Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Call Wait
Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Disable Call Wait
Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Caller ID

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

411
Yes
75¢/call

Yes
79¢/call

  
Yes
79¢/call

Do Not Disturb
Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Caller ID Blocking

Yes
No
  
Yes

Anon Call Blocking

Yesl
No
  
Yes
Account Management, Billing and Payment
   

Mang Acct Online

Yes
Yes
  
Yes

Payment Options

Auto billing to credit card
Auto billing to credit card
 
Auto billing to credit card

Set Up Fee

$29.99
$29.99
  
$29.99
  *iConnectHere: Gives you a $30 credit on your account at sign up to offset the activation fee.

Cancel Policy

30 day guarantee

30 day
guarantee

 
30 day guarantee

Cancel Fee

No*
No*
  
No*
 

*Packet 8: Full refund if you cancel within 30 days and return the hardware in original condition. From 30 days to 12 mths a $59 fee applies for regular service (a higher fee for video phone service). See the "Terms of Service" for details.
*iConnectHere: Full refund paid if you cancel within 30 days with less than 50 minutes of total usage (and no calls exceeding 3 minutes in length). Hardware must be returned in original condition. See the "Terms of Service" for details.
*Vonage: Full refund if you cancel within 30 days with less than 250 min of total usage and return the hardware with authorization number. From 30 days to 12 mths a $39.99 fee applies for regular service (a higher fee for video phone service). See the "Terms of Service" for details.

Sign Up Link

 

Reviews

 
Important: You are responsible to read each provider's "Terms of Service" and verify information in this broadband phone comparison. Rates, terms, and other details are always subject to change, and I cannot guarantee any of the information above will be accurate when you read this page.