When will vonage get new area codes?

Posts: 24

I've been waiting patiently for the Charlotte, NC phone numbers to become available so I could add a virtual number from there. The "coming soon" list promised it in April 2003. Today, I checked and the date has been pushed back to May 2003, Charlotte NC isn't on the list, and Columbia SC is misspelled as Columbus, SC (no such city) or they meant to list it as Columbus, GA.

In the meantime, Packet 8 is offering phone numbers in 29 SC cities and 45 North Carolina cities. I'm very disappointed.

Posts: 2252 · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 9:02 pm Post subject:

I won't touch the misspelling with a ten foot pole... Smile

However, I will say that when it comes to the rollout of new area codes, I am sure Vonage is just as disappointed as you that the Carolinas have been pushed back a bit. I happen to know that this is something that is not in Vonage’s direct control.

In regards to P-8; not a bad service for what it is, but you are comparing Catfish to Lobster. It just is not the same thing.

Posts: 1 · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 2:19 pm Post subject: What does it take?

Daniel,

I have seen some of your posts here, and in the Broadband Reports Voip forum, and I always appreciate your insights. I was just wondering, what does a company like Vonage have to do in order to get new numbers? I'm guess I'm just a little surprised that Packet8 could turn up so many new numbers so quickly, and yet Vonage seems to have been working on some of these numbers for months and can't seem to get them implemented. If it's not a trade secret or something, I'd like to understand the process that a company like Vonage has to go through in order to add new areas, and the pitfalls that can cause implementation dates to slide. For example, is it a situation where anti-competitive actions by the traditional local phone companies are causing some of the problems?

Posts: 2252 · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 2:40 pm Post subject:

Well Editor, it is like this:

Due to Vonage’s extreme popularity, when Vonage moves into a market, they make sure that they have the network to supply the demand. The last thing they want to do is to turn-up a region and have new customers busy-out.

P-8’s market demand would appear to be much less; hence they can light-up an area code and not have to worry about the network to support it.

FYI: I have never seen where P-8 has publicly announced the number of subscribers they have, I wonder why that is.

Posts: 106 · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2003 2:52 pm Post subject:

that would be my biggest gripe one which is fine for me but when i tell people my number is on the other side of the country they think it's foolish. if they were to get local numbers in sioux city iowa i could sell this service like crazy. and if they could just get some in the area. it would be great. i expect it to happen some day. till then i just wait

Posts: 37 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 37

I sent Vonage an email explaining my concerns of advertising a date and then changing them with no explanation. The response is below:

Thank you for contacting Customer Care.

I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you but we are
currently still in negotiations to set up a call center in that area.
According to our most updated roll-out schedule, that area should be
available in early-mid May.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,
Cust. Service Rep Name.

Dean