This past Monday I brought my phone number of some sixteen years into the 21st century with me. Two things made this possible…

1. Voip.ms

If you’re a Vonage customer you’re being ripped off. It’s as simple as that. Voip.ms charges a mere half-cent per minute for outgoing calls (in Canada), and as little as 1¢/minute for incoming calls to a DID number. Flat rate plans run about five bucks a month.

That’s right, about five bucks.

You do have to pay a one-time $25 USD porting charge, but once your number has been ported in you’re good to go. And unlike anyone else I’ve ever dealt with, Voip.ms gives you a hard date for the port with status updates before and after.

What really sets Voip.ms apart from any other POTS line I’ve ever used is the message handling. Every single voicemail can be immediately dispatched to the email address of my choice as an attached .wav file.

Your move, telemarketers…

2. CSipSimple

In theory I could use any softphone with my Voip.ms service — like Ekiga for the Linux desktop, for example. But CSipSimple for Android is what I use. Call quality easily trumps Sipdroid, though both enjoy the distinct advantage of being able to run on an actual phone.

CSipSimple can make voice calls over WiFi, 3G or even EDGE — though I can’t imagine things being very clear over a 60 kilobits/second connection. Still, if you’re abroad (or at home) and using a data-only SIM you no longer need a voice plan to make voice calls.

Your move, mobile carriers… And landline providers…

😎