I will pay a premium to expedite LNP

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 23, 2005 Posts: 10

fatboyntn wrote:

Does AT&T have all the call features of Vonage? That is really what sold me.

The basic features are pretty much the same. AT&T includes "Do Not Distrub" and 10-party conferencing, while Vonage provides area codes outside of USA (in Canada, Mexico, UK). You can go to the respective websites to check out.

fatboyntn wrote:

Does AT&T CV not have the same problem of getting numbers transferred?

Based on what I've read in forums and from friends who have switched, no. Their LNP process takes a few days and does not require babysitting.

fatboyntn wrote:

Sounds as if you are suggesting that Vonage is in some type of financial trouble. I have not heard that before.

I'm not. I'm merely saying that if Vonage does not improve its LNP process, they will not be able to handle growth into the mass market, and will always remain a niche player. If you're willing to pay $100 for LNP, there are other alternatives.

Posts: 2135

alaw168 wrote:

If you're willing to pay $100 for LNP, there are other alternatives.

And those alternatives should be discussed elsewhere - this is the Vonage Forum.

Thank you,

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 23, 2005 Posts: 10

Martlet wrote:

Nah, people who just can't sort out their problems still hang out here posting that Vonage will be out of business soon. It's just sour grapes.

Interesting observation. Absolutely wrong, but interesting.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm still tied up with my SBC DSL contract and have not yet made the switch. I'm merely doing research so I can make the jump when my contract expires. However, I cannot imagine / understand the rationale behind babysitting a business transaction for weeks and months while there are other alternatives which are relatively hassle-free.

Posts: 206

alaw168 wrote:

Martlet wrote:

Nah, people who just can't sort out their problems still hang out here posting that Vonage will be out of business soon. It's just sour grapes.

Interesting observation. Absolutely wrong, but interesting.

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm still tied up with my SBC DSL contract and have not yet made the switch. I'm merely doing research so I can make the jump when my contract expires. However, I cannot imagine / understand the rationale behind babysitting a business transaction for weeks and months while there are other alternatives which are relatively hassle-free.

LNP is extremely hassle free. It's only frustrating if you make it frustrating. You can install Vonage and continue business as usual even if the LNP hasn't taken place yet.

If you haven't even tried their service, it seems silly to me to spread unfounded claims that Vonage won't be around long. What's the point?

Posts: 10 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 23, 2005 Posts: 10

Martlet wrote:

LNP is extremely hassle free. It's only frustrating if you make it frustrating. You can install Vonage and continue business as usual even if the LNP hasn't taken place yet.

If you haven't even tried their service, it seems silly to me to spread unfounded claims that Vonage won't be around long. What's the point?

Perhaps my comments that if Vonage does not improve the LNP process then it will remain a niche player and won't last much longer gets on some people's nerves so I'm taking it back.

However, I don't think the current LNP process is hassle free, judging from

1) the amount of complaints on this and other forums (so much so that you need a separate "community" here). I did not see the same level of complaints from other providers

2) the stated target of 20 business days vs. what I would expect to be acceptable (one week or less)

3) I posted the question asking for both positive and negative experience and all I get is missing dial tones, busy signals, etc.

Again, I have nothing against Vonage, particularly the service. I know people who is using it and is extremely happy with it. I know every new technology has its teething problems and none of the providers are immune from it. However, LNP is a business process. Unless you're suggesting that there is a smear campaign against Vonage from whomever, there is a problem with the process. At best, I would say it's hit-or-miss; it's definitely not hassle-free.

I would have signed up for Vonage if I had not stumbled into this site for its speed test which led me to the forum and the section on number transfers and seeing the number of complaints which led me to do more research and found more forums with more complaints.

Posts: 206 · Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:52 pm Post subject:

The LNP process is a problem in most areas of Telecom. It isn't specific to Vonage, or even to VoIP. That, however, doesn't mean it has to be a hassle. It doesn't even have to be a problem.

My point was if you fret about it, you'll drive yourself nuts. You can set up service with Vonage and continue business as usual, using Vonage service, until the port takes place. You don't have to drive yourself crazy over it.

Posts: 68 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 68

Martlet wrote:

The LNP process is a problem in most areas of Telecom. It isn't specific to Vonage, or even to VoIP. That, however, doesn't mean it has to be a hassle. It doesn't even have to be a problem.

My point was if you fret about it, you'll drive yourself nuts. You can set up service with Vonage and continue business as usual, using Vonage service, until the port takes place. You don't have to drive yourself crazy over it.

Problem is that until the port takes places the original provider is still charging you every month.

Posts: 87 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 87

LNP for cell phones are completed in less than 2.5 hours. I don't see why landlines should take a month.

Ref: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/NumberPortability/

Quote:

For a wireless-to-wireless transfer, the porting process should take approximately two and a half hours from the time the porting request is made of the old carrier. The FCC has not mandated a specific time frame for the wireless-to-wireless porting process. Two and a half hours is the time frame agreed upon by the wireless industry, and the FCC encourages carriers to use that time frame.

Posts: 39 · Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:36 am Post subject: Anyone see an Elephant?

The one possibility no one has mentioned is the probability that some (or many?) local carriers stonewall Vonage and other VoIP carriers during this process. Don't be surprised if there is an FCC hearing one day about LNP issues.
If LCs stoop so low as to block VoIP packets, nothing would surprise me.