tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2013:/blog/tom-keating//4/tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141- 2013-02-22T21:04:32Z Comments for Military Suspension Plan from VoIP Providers - Who's Going to Step Up? VoIP & Gadgets blog - Latest news in VoIP & gadgets, wireless, mobile phones, reviews, & opinions Movable Type 4.38 tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141 2009-06-24T15:01:15Z 2009-06-24T14:57:25Z Military Suspension Plan from VoIP Providers - Who's Going to Step Up? I received an email from a U.S. military service person asking me if I was aware of any VoIP service providers offering a "military suspension plan" which allows U.S. military members to "suspend" your contract without paying monthly fees.... Tom Keating http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/ soldiers-iraq.jpg
I received an email from a U.S. military service person asking me if I was aware of any VoIP service providers offering a "military suspension plan" which allows U.S. military members to "suspend" your contract without paying monthly fees.

Mr. Tom Keating,

I'm a current customer of Vonage, but have recently been disappointed by them. You see, being in the military, deployments do not allow us to use our regular phones, for obvious reasons. As far as I'm aware, every cell phone carrier has some form of "military suspension plan" which allows you to keep your contract without paying any monthly fees until you notify them that you want it reactivated (not sure about landlines, but most ISP's seem to have a similar policy).

My question to you is: do you know of any VOIP companies that have a policy to accommodate military deployments, or even long vacations? At $35ish/month, I'd prefer not to pay this during a 6+ month tour in Iraq.


marine in korea

"Bitter cold, Bitter fight" a weary U.S. Marine in Korea 1950
I'm not aware of any VoIP service providers currently offering "military suspension plans". Have we forgotten the blood, sweat, and tears they've shed? Have we forgotten the hardships they ensure - whether it's the icy cold winter in Korea or the 110+ degree heat in the deserts & streets of Iraq? American VoIP companies should remember their sacrifice and do the honorable thing and cut them a financial break. Who's going to step up to the plate and reward our brave young men and women serving this country? Vonage? Packet8/8x8? Broadvoice? Anyone?
]]> tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:45353 Comment from jill on 2009-06-27 jill http://www.insidehoustonrealestate.com/ This is pretty ridiculous that Voice over IP companies are not doing this. Not only is it the right thing to do but whatever company does this first will have some great PR/advertising spot opportunities. - Jill Houston Real Estate Blog

]]> 2009-06-27T12:15:17Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:45363 Comment from Nedim Cholich on 2009-06-27 Nedim Cholich Yes, this is very much possible and is what I use for my main home line.

Go to gizmo5.com and get yourself an incoming number $35 a year which includes unlimited incoming calls.

For outgoing calls you pay 1.9c a minute and you pay only for what you use, no hidden fees, no monthly charges.

You then buy a sip adapter for $50 - $100 that you'll own forever and plug your phone into it.

That's it!

PS Other then being a satisfied customer, I'm not affiliated in any way with Gizmo.

]]> 2009-06-27T23:50:52Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:45366 Comment from Zeus on 2009-06-27 Zeus well, wcell could be the answer for you. It is a pay as you go service, no monthly contracts.

Checkout:
www.wcell.com

]]> 2009-06-28T01:12:49Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:45454 Comment from @NumberGarage on 2009-07-02 @NumberGarage http://www.numbergarage.com Our military service men and women should be driving new GM cars, and talking on free satellite telephones. A great service for our military service men and women is NumberGarage. For $9.95 a month, they can forward all calls to their telephone number to any other telephone number they choose.

I am affiliated with NumberGarage.com

]]> 2009-07-02T05:12:12Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:45542 Comment from Future Nine on 2009-07-05 Future Nine http://www.future-nine.com/ There are plenty of pay-as-you-go providers. While we (Future Nine) for example do not offer a military suspension - at $5/month for a pay-as-you-go number, do you really NEED to suspend your account? :) ($5/mo is probably less than what a cell phone company would charge you when your account is suspended...)

The solution is not to look for the overpriced companies to get "nicer" - it is to look for the companies who care about their users to begin with...

]]> 2009-07-05T10:41:44Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:46054 Comment from John E Lincoln on 2009-07-27 John E Lincoln http://www.freedomiq.com After reading this blog, FreedomVOICE has responded with a Military Suspension Plan for the FreedomIQ Hosted VoIP Service. Read more on our blog:

http://www.freedomiq.com/blog/freedomvoice-responds-with-military-suspension-plan/

]]> 2009-07-27T16:56:19Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:46056 Comment from Rocky Persian on 2009-07-27 Rocky Persian Let them pay. We need economic stimilus.

]]> 2009-07-27T19:29:22Z tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2009:/blog/tom-keating//4.41141-comment:46097 Comment from Sam Caldwell on 2009-07-29 Sam Caldwell http://samcaldwell.net If Vonage or any other provider will not accomodate the military, then they will not have my (civilian) business or my recommendation to any client. Support the troops or lose my support is the simple way to put it.

]]> 2009-07-29T19:35:11Z