Boost Unlimited or Comcast Home Phone Request

MrDubbs

MrDubbs

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Is anyone familiar with this "plan"? My father is thinking of getting rid of his land line, and getting a cell phone; so he can have it with him at all times, since he fixes computers and wants to be able to take calls at all times.

Anyway, is this a good plan to go with? is it truly unlimited? I know they say there's no hidden fees, but it sounds too good to be true. Also, can you use any Boost/Nextel phone with the plan, or does it have to be specific ones?

Another possibility, is to go with the Comcast home phone, which would offer better pricing then Verizon, which is what he currently uses for home phone. It would also be unlimited Long distance and local with the calling features, for $40 a month. I'm not sure on the quality though?

Thanks
 
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Comcast will have much better quality though it costs a lot. Keep in mind that it uses VoiP so if you lose power = no phone. If you have good Nextel coverage in your area, the boost deal is great. I am sure there is a limit to "unlimited" but most people won't surpass that. Virgin Mobile also has a $50/month unlimited plan as well and they use Sprint's towers which may have better coverage than Nextel's in your area.
 
It appears we have Virgin Mobile coverage at it's best in our area according to the map. It's also nice, because it appears that it uses the 3G network, and I believe Boost uses the IDEN? but I could be wrong. The one thing that sucks about VM though is it appears to be just for talk, while Boost although slower? includes Talk, Web, Text, Chirp.

I'm not sure on the coverage Nextel has in our area, but according to their map from Nextel.com were in one of the best areas too.

As far as the Comcast phone goes, it's actually less then what he pays for Verizon. Verizon is costing 50 a month (give or take) before taxes, for Unlimited Local, Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three Way. Which only Caller ID is pretty much used. I called and tried to get them to match Comcast price, of $40 for Unlimited Local, and Long Distance, with Caller ID and they wouldn't do it. He doesn't really care about all the other features that Comcast comes with.

I've heard that the modem or whatever the device is called from Comcast for their phones includes some sort of battery backup. Not sure how long it last. But if he got a battery backup from Staples would it extend the ability to call during power outages from Comcast?
 
Well the cell phone option is probably better if he wants a cell phone to carry around with him. I currently use a prepaid cell for my out of home calls (which are minimal) and use Skype for my home phone through my $40/month internet through verizon. Skype costs me around $60/YEAR and though it has it's hiccups, it generally works fine.

I've used other voip in the past as well. Sunrocket (now oob), Lingo (A great alternative at around $200/year unlimited calling), and OOMA (A GREAT idea, yet I am skeptical to keep them. They cost $250 or so for a box and you get unlimited voip calling through your isp FOREVER, never have to pay any other fees. Of course if they go oob you're stuck with a useless box that cost $200+).

If he uses the phone at home a lot and doesn't care about out of home calling go with comcast or another similar voip (though comcast should have the best call quality) and just let him get a cheap prepaid to use when he needs it. The modem does have a battery backup so short power outages should be fine (unless he has a cordless phone which would also need its own power).
 
I just called Comcast, and the thing that really makes me mad is there installation prices. They charge 24.95 for a Tech to come out, on top of a 27.95 installation charge. It's like what the fuck is the 24.95 for, beyond ridiculous
 
[quote name='DreamSymphony'] Keep in mind that it uses VoiP so if you lose power = no phone. [/quote]


Really keep this in mind...we almost went with TMobile today using our Comcast BBand... but if power goes, internet goes down... you have no contact option with emergency issues...and while yes 911 can recognize IP addresses, it's not as reliable as your landline.
Just a few minutes ago we confirmed with a 911 operator friend...there are still risks with this home phone option...

Good luck on your decision...and you're right, Comcast is frustrating...
 
Is that Boost Mobile plan for real? I keep seeing it advertised, and I'm looking at their site...

I pay $40/month for honestly a really awesome plan, but not unlimited (and just voice).

Other companies charge $100 a month for unlimited talk, so how is Boost Mobile charging half that?

And anyone know how much tax/fees are on top of that $50? My plan is $40, but after random fees, it's basically $50. They CLAIM taxes are included with that $50 plan, so it could really be basically the same price, only add in some internet support and (better still) unlimited talk time. (I rarely use over 300/month, but every once in while...)

I'm actually thinking this would be perfect for my mom, because her plan's a lot worse than mine, and she pays the same amount. If this is honestly unlimited, and the $50 is actually $50, and not really $60+ after random fees....

And I'm totally fine with iDen! I've heard the sound quality's really good, and I want Motorola phones anyway. (Guess I've only actually used iDen once a few years ago, but it sounds good.) Although I thought Sprint was changing that over to CDMA, but anyway...
 
Comcast's call quality is fine. I don't use it often, but when I do, it's good. The modem has a battery backup, I think it's supposed to last 4 hours without power, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
 
[quote name='Wolfpup']Is that Boost Mobile plan for real? I keep seeing it advertised, and I'm looking at their site...

I pay $40/month for honestly a really awesome plan, but not unlimited (and just voice).

Other companies charge $100 a month for unlimited talk, so how is Boost Mobile charging half that?

And anyone know how much tax/fees are on top of that $50? My plan is $40, but after random fees, it's basically $50. They CLAIM taxes are included with that $50 plan, so it could really be basically the same price, only add in some internet support and (better still) unlimited talk time. (I rarely use over 300/month, but every once in while...)

I'm actually thinking this would be perfect for my mom, because her plan's a lot worse than mine, and she pays the same amount. If this is honestly unlimited, and the $50 is actually $50, and not really $60+ after random fees....

And I'm totally fine with iDen! I've heard the sound quality's really good, and I want Motorola phones anyway. (Guess I've only actually used iDen once a few years ago, but it sounds good.) Although I thought Sprint was changing that over to CDMA, but anyway...[/QUOTE]


There are no added fees on prepaid. You just buy prepaid cards and add them to your account. You can even usually get the cards cheaper than face value if you buy them on ebay or store sales.
 
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