MagicJack's disappearing cell phone fees

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.

The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.

 

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/us_tec_gadget_show_magicjack

 

Edited January 8, 2010 by Tony n Terrific (see edit history)

[bokiwen]

I read this earlier on engadget. Sounds interesting, but I'm sure it's only to be a voice service, and not data.

 

I gave an original Magic Jack to my father in law, and he has used it a couple times.

[dnoblett]

Yep billions paid to the government, now where did the .GOV spend this?

 

Tony, in the future, Please comment on what you are linking to. Just a link and a snip from an article does not cut it without your take on the subject.

[tonado]

Only good for AT&T and T-Mobile. I have Verizon. It won't work for me.

[dnoblett]

Only good for AT&T and T-Mobile. I have Verizon. It won't work for me.

Yep GSM vs CDMA (Verizon)

[HongKong2LA]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

[ShaQuaNew]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

 

Yes, you can call anywhere from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The voice quality is dependent upon the bandwidth and Internet quality.

 

I've been using Vonage VoIP for years. I now use it in China. I have a US telephone number where family and friends can call toll free anytime; about 30 USD a month. However, I've been looking at Magicjack lately, because it's cheap, and appears to be just a USB jack with a phone port. Pretty simple and easy to carry.

 

I was waiting for them to provide "porting" existing numbers before trying it, but will probably have my wife get one while she's in the US and bring it back with her.

[HongKong2LA]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

 

Yes, you can call anywhere from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The voice quality is dependent upon the bandwidth and Internet quality.

 

I've been using Vonage VoIP for years. I now use it in China. I have a US telephone number where family and friends can call toll free anytime; about 30 USD a month. However, I've been looking at Magicjack lately, because it's cheap, and appears to be just a USB jack with a phone port. Pretty simple and easy to carry.

 

I was waiting for them to provide "porting" existing numbers before trying it, but will probably have my wife get one while she's in the US and bring it back with her.

 

seems like a good solution to a lot of us regularly calling internationally. Maybe I'll pick one up this weekend and try it out.

[Randy W]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

 

Yes, you can call anywhere from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The voice quality is dependent upon the bandwidth and Internet quality.

 

I've been using Vonage VoIP for years. I now use it in China. I have a US telephone number where family and friends can call toll free anytime; about 30 USD a month. However, I've been looking at Magicjack lately, because it's cheap, and appears to be just a USB jack with a phone port. Pretty simple and easy to carry.

 

I was waiting for them to provide "porting" existing numbers before trying it, but will probably have my wife get one while she's in the US and bring it back with her.

 

seems like a good solution to a lot of us regularly calling internationally. Maybe I'll pick one up this weekend and try it out.

 

 

Skype also allows a US phone number for $10 a month. This is most convenient for us - anyone who wants to talk will usually email first.

 

I need the US phone number in order to maintain my US foot print - credit cards, bank accounts. We have a New York phone number to go with the address of my mail forwarding service in New York, usamail1.

[HongKong2LA]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

 

Yes, you can call anywhere from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The voice quality is dependent upon the bandwidth and Internet quality.

 

I've been using Vonage VoIP for years. I now use it in China. I have a US telephone number where family and friends can call toll free anytime; about 30 USD a month. However, I've been looking at Magicjack lately, because it's cheap, and appears to be just a USB jack with a phone port. Pretty simple and easy to carry.

 

I was waiting for them to provide "porting" existing numbers before trying it, but will probably have my wife get one while she's in the US and bring it back with her.

 

seems like a good solution to a lot of us regularly calling internationally. Maybe I'll pick one up this weekend and try it out.

 

 

Skype also allows a US phone number for $10 a month. This is most convenient for us - anyone who wants to talk will usually email first.

 

I need the US phone number in order to maintain my US foot print - credit cards, bank accounts. We have a New York phone number to go with the address of my mail forwarding service in New York, usamail1.

 

I use skype video internet chat almost every day with my wife in Hong Kong and its free. I was under the impression that magicjack was only something like $20.00 bucks a year after you by the device. Am I mistaken about that?

[HelloWorld08]

Can you make international calls with the magicjack? Hows the quality?

 

Yes, you can call anywhere from anywhere that has an Internet connection. The voice quality is dependent upon the bandwidth and Internet quality.

 

I've been using Vonage VoIP for years. I now use it in China. I have a US telephone number where family and friends can call toll free anytime; about 30 USD a month. However, I've been looking at Magicjack lately, because it's cheap, and appears to be just a USB jack with a phone port. Pretty simple and easy to carry.

 

I was waiting for them to provide "porting" existing numbers before trying it, but will probably have my wife get one while she's in the US and bring it back with her.

 

seems like a good solution to a lot of us regularly calling internationally. Maybe I'll pick one up this weekend and try it out.

 

 

Skype also allows a US phone number for $10 a month. This is most convenient for us - anyone who wants to talk will usually email first.

 

I need the US phone number in order to maintain my US foot print - credit cards, bank accounts. We have a New York phone number to go with the address of my mail forwarding service in New York, usamail1.

 

I use skype video internet chat almost every day with my wife in Hong Kong and its free. I was under the impression that magicjack was only something like $20.00 bucks a year after you by the device. Am I mistaken about that?

 

device cost about 40 bucks and includes one year service, and I think after that one year, to renew cost 20 bucks..

[credzba]

The new magicJack uses, without permission, radio frequencies for which cellular carriers have paid billions of dollars for exclusive licenses.

The device is, in essence, a very small cellular tower for the home.

 

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/us_tec_gadget_show_magicjack

 

 

 

I forwarded this around work, and the guys came back with good ideas for use beyond cutting air time.

 

For most of us at work, we have enough "rollover" minutes to last us into next century, so the focus at work was on improved quality.

 

At work we have almost no cell service, and inside the building literally I have no service.

With this majicjack device we could use our cell phones inside the office.

Another guy has no service at his house, so this device would allow him to continue to use his phone at home and traveling.

 

I suspect my phone number will change with magicjack device, though I did not read that, it would make sense.

What I will do is use Google voice as my primary number, then have it call both the house cell phone and my regular cell phone.

That will make sure I get the call no matter which "provider" I am associated with.

[DocMartin817]

I have been using Magic Jack for around 4 or 5 month now. Most of the time it works fine. But on a regular basis I get interference that makes it impossible to hear who is calling. The other day I was talking to a friend in the same town on it and suddenly he could no longer hear me speak but I could hear him perfectly. I am getting rid of my Magic Jack and switching to Vonage this month.

[C4Racer]

I have been using Magic Jack for around 4 or 5 month now. Most of the time it works fine. But on a regular basis I get interference that makes it impossible to hear who is calling. The other day I was talking to a friend in the same town on it and suddenly he could no longer hear me speak but I could hear him perfectly. I am getting rid of my Magic Jack and switching to Vonage this month.

 

It is one of those things that "you get what you pay for". I would use magic jack over a phone card, but not to replace my home phone. Might I suggest italkbb over vonage. The plus witth italkbb is you get a china access number that allows family and friends to call from China anytime free of any long distance charges to them. It has been an invaluable service to my wife and her parents, especially now that they are here with us.

Edited January 9, 2010 by C4Racer (see edit history)

[MikeXiao]

We tried magic-jack for about 2 weeks. Got tired of asking those we were talking to to repeat what they said. Switched to italkbb, and have never looked back. My wife's cell phone minutes usage dropped from over 700 minutes a month to about 200-300.