Comments on: Why $5 phone service is a good idea

By: Bob Stevens

Bob Stevens — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:26:07 +0000

I agree that the $5 phone line is a great idea except that after all the fees and taxes it will probably be $15 per month making it not such a great idea. Direct TV and Dish both require a phone line connected to their equipment in order to track location and encourage PPV Movie transactions. If not connected, Dish charges $5/month on leased equipment. This would become a wash expense for those on Satellite (except for taxes and fees).

By: Steve Shaw

Steve Shaw — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:45:27 +0000

T-Mobile already offers a $10 home phone service called @Home (www.tmobileathome.com) nationwide and the rumor is that it is a huge hit. It’s a perfect compliment to their mobile service and the $10 is tacked on to the mobile bill just like a second mobile line, except this comes with a VoIP terminal adaptor.

It’s just one more way for T-Mobile to drive fixed-to-mobile substitution.

Maybe Verizon is reacting to @Home.

By: S Cuellar

S Cuellar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:28:10 +0000

insurance considerations aside, your position needs to be put in front of the FCC, because the high interstate subscriber line charge ($6.50 in my case) will be placed on the line regardless of lower price. appears someone needs start lobbying to phase out the cross-subsidies that add these govt and large industry lobbied charges and taxes to local telephone wireline service. this cash cow for the govt and industry no longer serves its intended purpose.

By: Samantha Robinson

Samantha Robinson — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:19:01 +0000

I’m a member of the generation that is increasingly abandoning wireline phone service (I’ve paid for a grand total of 2 months of landline phone service as an adult, five years ago. The only people who called were solicitors.) However, at only $5 a line, and bundled with internet, I could see jumping for the luxury of an emergency-only landline.

And I’m a sceptic.

This is a plan they should pursue.

By: Will Clark

Will Clark — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:17:01 +0000

It will be interesting to see the reaction to this offer by customers in the late majority and laggard categories. Maybe this is the right incentive to move them to subscribe to DSL or a VoIP product. If not, seems like customer service reps will spend the better part of their day explaining to POTS subscribers that they can’t have the $5 promo. I am skeptical toward the idea that forfeiting POTS margins in this economy can bring positive results. But I want them to try it anyway. -The competition.

By: Brian Srock

Brian Srock — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 17:34:10 +0000

I work for Verizon and I’m not affiliated with the team that will be marketing this $5 phone service, but I can tell you that this service will be targeting DSL customers which of course is a copper-based platform. I agree, $5 phone service is a very good idea. It offers customer flexibility and provides a very low-cost alternative to VOIP carriers such as Vonage. Any outgoing calls could be made using pre-paid phone cards. I still know peope who using these pre-paid cards exclusively for their long distance service. During a power outage and depending on how your HSI/POTS service is delivered, you may not lose service. However, a lot of HSI/POTS service these days is delivered via SLC systems which need external power in order to operate. If you are fortunate enough to have POTS service that is straight copper from the serving office, you won’t have to worry about losing service in the event of a commercial power loss.