I have been thinking about trying it out--right now I use Verizon for both local and long distance and my bills are usually around $80 plus--and that's AFTER getting Optimum for the computers and getting rid of my second telephone line.

A couple of weeks ago Maggie's dad bought cell phones for himself and herself. They are T-mobile. After two or three days Maggie decided she wanted Nextel so she could walkie-talkie her friends and family who are also on Nextel.
I brought her T-mobile back and was too late--I thought it was 30 days to return, but it was 14. The guy at the cell phone place just told me to keep her phone (which I've taken over) and reduce the plan from $39.99 to $19.00 since I don't use it as much as her dad--his plan is still the $39.00 plan.

So I got her a the Nextel plan and a really nice Motorola phone, an i730 and a nationwide plan so she could walkie-talkie her cousins in Florida and Chicago. It's a cool phone because it has a built-in GPS so if it is stolen Nextel can find it or if Maggie is stolen, she can be found also! This plan she has is $49.99.

So now I'll be inundated with bills from Verizon, Nextel, and Optimum. I don't worry about T-mobile because that's under her dad's name so if he screws up and is late with payments, his credit gets hurt, not mine. However, even though we are in a hi-tech age, I still don't like having all of these bills and was thinking that since I have optimum for the computer, I might be better off using it for my phone and paying the flat $39 (?) fee. It does have call-waiting and other features we like included in the price.

What I'm wondering is if I get optimum, can I get rid of Verizon in its entirety, or will I still get billed from them for something? Also, if I get Optimum I would like to know if it is REALLY $39.00 per month or if they add on extra charges like everyone else in the phone business seems to these days.

Anybody else use optimum voice, and if so, it is any good???

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Fran in NY