port my cell to voip.ms

[polkatornado]

#verizon #port     I am thinking about porting my verizon cell number to voip.ms

is this possible / allowable ?

will there be a charge for it ?

The reason to do this is I do not want to lose this number, but I also do not want to pay 45 per month to hang onto it.  I have a near future use for that number, so that is why I do not want to just lose the number.   Also I already have one google voice number that I use for business reasons, so I do not believe I can have a 2nd google voice number.

thanks

Joe

[SynthpopAddict]

VoIP is landline service, and from what I found elsewhere on the internet, it is possible to convert a mobile number to landline, but I'd have to think you'd be subject to the area code restrictions, so wouldn't work if your mobile number has a different area code than the place you're currently living in.  There are some other exceptions such as the new provider not having an interconection agreement with Verizon.  I'd check with the VoIP provider to see if they can do the port.

[polkatornado]

alright very much appreciated.   For some reason i had the idea that voip was over the internet and not connected to a landline.  In that case, that is not a good option for me.   What is out there internet based besides Googlevoice where I could possibly port that Verizon cell number , especially without worrying about area codes ?

[SynthpopAddict]

You're welcome 🙂

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) does use the internet for calls, but because you are using a wired system to do it, is considered landline service.  And you would connect a landline phone to the modem to use it.  It has replaced the traditional copper wire landline service in many instances because the copper wire infrastructure is falling apart and becoming more expensive to maintain along with not being that popular anymore with so many people using mobile devices.  Google Voice is actually a VoIP service as well, but is designed to work more like Wi-Fi calling using assorted devices and not a traditional landline phone.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to Verizon where you can use a cell phone, there are numerous budget mobile carriers out there, but it's a mixed bag and you may very well end up getting what you pay for.  This was my experience with the budget carrier I came from before porting to Verizon.  However, my brother uses and likes his service from a budget carrier named for a type of candy, and this carrier has consistently gotten good reviews from customers, so maybe try them?  Candy Carrier uses Pink Logo Place's network for service, so check to see if the Pink Place has decent service in your area first.

[polkatornado]

thanks for the great insight and perspectives. I agree about budget carriers.  I travel quite a bit, often ending up on small towns and out of the way places, so I need a cell company with excellent  coverage map.   I stopped into Tm_b_l_   and they showed me that even the horse farm setting in the sticks where I live has great coverage.      Also I plan to get their internet tower that just plugs into an electric outlet.  Currently my internet requires a TV antenna like gizmo on my roof, which causes anxiety in wind, snow, ice and related storms, as there are big Silver Maple Trees hovering over the roof and the antenna.      As for the older Verizon phone and number,  I have decided it is time to just let it go.   Anyone who only has that number can find me if they really need to via networking with friends and family .       I currently have  the number I use daily on Verizon which I can port to Tm_b_l_ .   And in addition I have 1 google voice number I really like,  with some effort and searching, found a great number that is easier to remember AND to tell others.    So I can forward that to my phone if need be at times,  or later on I could decide to port it to a 2nd line on Tm_b_l_  or whichever carrier.    I found Tm_b_l_  has decent options for people 55 plus , with a package deal with 1 line plus internet, which includes free netflix and apple tv , etc.     Also I am likely to choose the plan that gives me the free Samsung Galaxy S24 phone,  with free every 2 years upgrades.    Of course I figured out their pricing scheme so the phone is not really free, they just try to make it appear that way to make clients feel good, LOL.         24  is my all time favorite number,  I like its math qualities,  it was my high school jersey number, and I once found a random cow number tag in the dirt in our farm woods.   We used to keep our dairy cows there, and guess which plastic number tag was laying there for me to find,  you guessed it,   24 .     sorry for stream of consciousness, hope it makes some sense.   peace 

[SynthpopAddict]

It's your decision in the end.  But you were mentioning in your original post that your current Verizon line costs $45/month, which I would guess is either a legacy plan or you're on the prepaid 15 gig plan.  The plan you mentioned with the S24 and upgrades every 2 years, it's $85/month even with the 55+ discount so nearly twice the cost you're paying Verizon now?

If you live in a rural area where satellite internet and "fixed wireless" internet are your only service options, then getting the internet cube from either Verizon or Pink Logo Place may not be all that bad as it'll probably be faster than satellite internet.  But I honestly can't recommend "fixed wireless" internet running off the cell phone towers in more populated locales, because the internet cube is then competing with all the traffic from all the phones, tablets, and anything else "smart" that can connect to the internet wirelessly.  Unless you happen to live in just the right spot in a densely populated urban area right near a high-band 5G cell tower, the internet cubes are going to be a mixed bag with network congestion and speeds will vary, sometimes wildly.

----

December 29, 2023

Synth gets idea that maybe switching carriers will be an upgrade and sees tons of ads on TV advertising senior discounts at Pink Logo Place.  Just about everyone's a postpaid customer no matter the carrier, so why not?  Walk into nearest Pink Place corporate store.  All the employees are wearing hideously ugly T-shirts with gigantic logo on front (please, Verizon, please don't make your store employees adopt this look with your new logo.  Please?) and the place is glaringly bright with hard floors, white walls with magenta accents, and music up full blast...

Me: "What's your 5G network speed really like here?"

Pink Logo Place sales guy: [runs speed test] Turns his phone towards me showing 200Mbps down.

Me: "Do all customers on a 5G plan with you get access to 5G UC?"

PLP sales guy: "Yes."

Me: "This sounds great.  But I'm currently in the middle of my billing cycle on Verizon Prepaid and I'm going to lose 2 weeks worth (which I already paid for) if I switch now, plus there's the $35 activation fee I've got to pay you.  Otherwise, I think it'd be nice to get better data speeds and be on an unlimited plan.  And I qualify for the 55+ discount, so it'd be nice to have better priority on the towers as a postpaid customer."

PLP sales guy: "Oh, we're still in holiday season right now, so we'll waive your activation fee if you switch now.  But it's going to expire at the end of the month, so we can't offer that to you in a couple more weeks.  And this is a postpaid plan, so you won't be billed until the end of your billing cycle.  By the way, who's your internet provider?  I can get you set up with our 5G home internet..."

Me: "Well...I use [cable company] and I'm constantly online with streaming TV and movies, gaming, and working side hustle from home.  While your home internet is cheaper, I sure get my money's worth from my current ISP with how much data I use, and I like having extremely consistent data speeds on a wired internet connection."

PLP sales guy: Tries for next 10 minutes to get me to give up the cable company and goes nowhere.  He finally gives up and asks what mobile plan I'd like...

Me: [names plan]

PLP sales guy: "Oh, that's just an online thing only.  I can't sign you up for that here.  How about [plan]?  It's only $5 more a month and with your discount it's $55/month."

Me: "Hm...well, since there's a few more bells/whistles there, OK."

PLP sales guy: "I think you'll be a LOT happier now." [Goes through porting process, number ports pretty much immediately from Verizon.]

Me: Goes home.  Closes door, looks at phone.  Only has 1 bar of signal.  Hey...I got 3 or 4 on Verizon!  Walk all over apartment trying to see if anywhere has better signal.  Nope!  Hold phone outside in breezeway and signal jumps up to 2 or maybe 3 bars.  Walk to parking lot, 3 bars.  Can't be on calls indoors because even PLP's website says if you only have 1 bar, it's not good enough for calls to work well!  Can't buy a signal booster from them either because website says they're discontinued...  Well...smartphones are mostly sources for internet usage now, right?  Maybe the data speeds will make up for it.  Speed test on phone: 20Mbps down on 5G.  Uh...didn't sales guy say everybody got 5G UC on any 5G plan?  Where's that 200 down???  I don't have the 5G UC showing either.

Next 2 days: Phone is always showing 1 bar of signal indoors no matter where I go inside the apartment complex, (inside own apartment, inside manager's office, inside on-site gym).  This despite nearest PLP tower being only 0.6 mile away. Must be that overpass and being on the downslope of a hill?  Going outside always fixes it, but that still means I have to go outside to be on calls.  Data speeds?  Doesn't matter if I'm indoors or outdoors, never get better than 25Mbps down.  Tried going back to PLP store with tower 1 block away to see if I'd get the 200 down the sales guy was getting...Nope, it's still 25Mbps down!

January 1, 2024

Drive my 19 mile commute to work to see if signal and data speeds are different anywhere else, stopping at random spots along the way.  Outside: 3-4 bars of signal, data speeds never better than 25Mbps down.  One town at halfway point, getting all of 2Mbps down on 5G!  Uh, maybe they have the "largest" 5G network, but I wouldn't call it the "fastest" because I can get 2Mbps down for less elsewhere!  Then I pull up in front of building where I work.  Signal strength begins dying as soon as I walk up to the front door (still outside).  At this point, I decide it's been a horrible mistake and on the way home, stop at the PLP store to ask about porting back out.

Me: “Will there be a charge for the 4 days of service?”

PLP guy: “No, not for this short a period.  Sorry you had such a bad experience.”

Go to corporate Verizon store next…carpeting, beige furniture, and gentle lighting indoors, even if the music is still kind of loud.  Store employees are definitely better dressed (unless they're now being made to wear giant logo T-shirts?).

Me: "I made a terrible mistake of porting out 3 days ago.  How much trouble would it be to come back?"

Verizon sales rep: "I think you'd be a 'winback'.  Call the CS number and they’ll set you back up to restore your old account.  Feel free to have a seat here to do it.”

Me: [sits down and calls number] Suddenly remembers I’m inside, and therefore my call won’t work because of lousy signal strength with PLP.  Have to hang up and go outside to car before call works.  It’s January 1st, and nobody answers the phone anyway.

January 2, 2024

Go outside to sit in car and call Verizon CS again.

Me: “I’m trying to port back into Verizon, ported out only 5 days ago so I ought be able to come back as a ‘winback’.”

[Get transferred around to 2-3 reps trying to get this set up.  Finally…]

Verizon rep: “Sorry, but you were a prepaid customer and the ‘winback’ is only for postpaid accounts.  I can set you back up with a new prepaid account though.”

Me: “So, I have to start all over as if I’d never been a customer before?  Unfortunately, the PLP guy threw away my Verizon SIM card (!) and I’m going to have to go to a store anyway to get a new one, so I may as well go to the store and have them set it up.  Thanks anyway.”

Go back to corporate Verizon store and tell them I can’t come back as a “winback”.  Employee consults with manager and says unfortunately that’s true and proceeds to set me back up with a new prepaid account.  Meaning I’ve lost 2 weeks on previous billing cycle and have to pay for a whole month as if past never occurred.

Mid-January 2024

PLP pulls my monthly autopay for one month’s worth of service with them from my bank account.  So now I’ve paid for my one line, what, 3 times over for this month?

Early February 2024

PLP sends me a “final bill” via snail mail saying I owe them for service for January 1 and 2.  Their CS was good enough to remove the final charges after I explained I’d paid for an entire month’s worth of service when I actually only had service for less than a week, but this obviously means PLP bills for an entire month as soon as you sign up, even if you sign up at the end of a month.  So much for PLP sales guy's pitch about not having to pay the bill until the end of the billing cycle!

I’m never switching carriers again unless I have to move away from here and Verizon completely fails to work elsewhere! (Oh, and as soon as I ported back to Verizon, had 4 bars at home indoors and the first speed test I ran got 45Mbps down.  My data speeds still vary wildly being a prepaid customer, but I can deal with it and it's cheaper than PLP.)