Thanks Jeff - you reply really helps. And thanks to everyone else who chimed in too.
To quickly summarize the situation: It's a small techy business. We were with Cox but stuck on a contract with them and they wanted to increase our rates by about 30% at the end of the contract with no significant improvement in service (3Mb/500k). AT&T offered us a good deal but have completely failed to deliver ... they promised us 3 lines + internet for $160/month but are charging nearly $300/month and telling us that we now have to sign up for two years to get the rates that they originally promised monthly. We're outside the Eatel service area - we used to have Eatel service and it was fantastic - if I had the chance I'd move to Ascension Parish just to get it again. We have two voice lines that roll over to one incoming number (hunting in Telco lingo) and a fax line. We need a fax because we get a lot of orders that way. We have an alarm system too that uses the land line. But the basic business rate from AT&T for a single business phone line is almost $100/month! So yes - I'm seriously thinking of cutting the cord but I haven't dug into phone systems for about 20 years - much has changed. DSL in this area is only 1.5Mb/300k so we'd have to go back to Cox - don't you love dealing with monopolies? We have a POTS PBX but I'm really tempted to throw everything out and start again - the problem is knowing where to start - we're a small business so setting something up line this and throwing out the existing system is a big step. Does anyone have some actual experience of completely cutting the cord? Or can recommend a simple setup? At this point, what was supposed to be a simple switch of phone and internet providers is turning into a goat screw - Gee Thanks AT&T! Regards, Edmund Cramp -- Motion Lab Systems, Inc. 15045 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 USA Tel: +1 (225) 272-7364 | Fax: +1 (225) 272-7336 Web: http://www.motion-labs.com/movie > -----Original Message----- > From: General [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Patton, Jeff > Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 4:19 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [brlug-general] Phone service in Baton Rouge > > For Small offices and even larger small offices I suggest you consider cutting > the preverbal CORD. Truthfully Analog lines are no longer needed for homes > or small offices. > > If you do not want to be adventurous then ATT, Cox, Century Link, Eatel, and > various other wired options are your only options. However, if you want to > be more adventurous then CUT THE CORD. If you have decent bandwidth > then have you considered using a SIP phone device connection through the > internet? If you have an alarm line you may want to get a single line from > ATT but there are even other options for Faxes and for wireless alarms that > cost less than having a wired phone line. There are devices available that > are about $50.00 or so that will allow you to have two Sip Lines and then hand > them off as an analog line to your PBX or phones. Also if you do not have a > PBX and you have cell phones you can purchase Cordless phones that will > connect Bluetooth up to two cell phones then you get a couple local phone > numbers from Google and have it ring to your Cell phone and then you just > answer it like a regular phone call. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: General [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Edmund > Cramp > Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 3:56 PM > To: '[email protected]' > Subject: [brlug-general] Phone service in Baton Rouge > > Does anyone have recommendations for phone service in Baton Rouge? We > need two/three lines - a couple of voice lines and a fax line. > > It looks like COX and AT&T are the only options? > > Regards, > Edmund Cramp > -- > Motion Lab Systems, Inc. > 15045 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70816 USA > Tel: +1 (225) 272-7364 | Fax: +1 (225) 272-7336 > Web: http://www.motion-labs.com/movie > > > > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > _______________________________________________ > General mailing list > [email protected] > http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
