Cell Phones

Cheapest way to Park a phone number for later use?

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Deal Addict
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Apr 26, 2003
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Toronto West

Cheapest way to Park a phone number for later use?

Ive got a phone number that will eventually be used for a business but not for at least a few years. What are the options to park this somewhere until then?


voip.ms still charges ~$1.50/month. Some Pay as you go for $20 top ups will last a year.. Is there anything free or close to it?
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Mar 3, 2002
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Mendes wrote: Ive got a phone number that will eventually be used for a business but not for at least a few years. What are the options to park this somewhere until then?
Consider porting to Fongo Mobile for $25 +tax. You can still use the phone number while on a smartphone using the Fongo Mobile app if you absolutely need to use it (using wifi or cellular data . . . cellular data VoIP calls can be flaky with any VoIP service depending on signal strength). And there's no ongoing fees for as long as you use Fongo Mobile. That is the cheapest option in the long run since there are no ongoing fees involved.

https://support.fongo.com/entries/22867 ... e-accounts

I am not a fan of the Fongo Mobile app (because I can't switch audio codecs on the fly and because it doesn't offer features that some other, more powerful SIP apps offer), but that's the cheapest option, in the long run, for parking a phone number. Essentially, the longer, you park the number, the more sense Fongo Mobile makes. If you're parking short term, then there are cheaper options.
Please do not PM me for tech support. I help out on the forums when I can. Thank you.
OBi200/202 Freephonline PDF guide (version 1.60) can be found here. OBi200 info can be found here. For OBi202 info, click here.
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Dec 16, 2001
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Oakville
Fongo $25 port in fee. Ongoing free.
Voip.ms $8.75USD, ongoing monthly fees.

Cost of losing your phone number (to save $1.50) with Fongo (should they go belly up)... priceless
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Mar 3, 2002
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Kursor17 wrote: Cost of losing your phone number (to save $1.50) with Fongo (should they go belly up)... priceless
This comment you've made does not hold up under scrutiny and is predominately FUD.

VoIP.ms uses Fibernetics as one of its carriers. Some of VoIP.ms' DIDs or phone numbers are owned by Fibernetics, which, in turn, owns Fongo. So, if Fibernetics (owner/parent company of Fongo) goes under, a bunch of VoIP.ms customers also get to run around muttering "priceless" to themselves.

But reality isn't that scary.

Fibernetics owns/operates Freephoneline and Fongo
and is the largest privately held competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in Canada and the largest telecommunication company in the Waterloo region. FPL/Fongo generates revenue from incoming phone calls or termination fees to its network in addition to the fees paid by its customers. The more phone calls made to their network, the more money they make. Fongo and Freephonline are treated as being separate entities by Fibernetics (it costs money to port phone numbers between FPL and Fongo). So, FPL and Fongo are considered to be sister companies, despite offering similar services.

Fibernetics also operates/owns Nucleus Information Service, Worldline.ca, 1011295.com, 295.ca, Vonix, NEWT, etc.

In the event that Fongo were, for some unlikely reason, to suddenly shut down, you would still be able to port out before then:

http://forum.fongo.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=16964
"This isn't something you have to worry about. Hypothetically speaking though, if something were to happen, arrangements would be made for users to be able port their numbers out, or stay with whichever company were to take over operations of FPL [or Fongo]. The bottom line is, you would not simply lose your number."--Fongo_Jeff


Fongo is owned by Fibernetics, which is a CLEC. Fibernetics has Fongo's DIDs/phone numbers. If Fongo doesn't pay its bills, Fibernetics still has Fongo's phone numbers. If Fibernetics doesn't pay its bills, Fibernetics still has Fongo's phone numbers/DIDs until another company takes over. And Fongo's customers will be able to port out before then or choose to stay with the company that takes over. Moreover, FPL, Fongo, and Fibernetics are registered with CCTS (Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services): https://www.ccts-cprst.ca/complaints/service-providers. If there's an issue, you can file a complaint with CCTS, and CCTS will act as an intermediary to help negotiate a resolution for you.

Conversely, VoIP.ms is not a CLEC, and it's not registered with CCTS either at the time of this post. If a business isn't registered with CCTS, it's not obliged to negotiate with nor comply with CCTS guidelines or rulings.

I also use VoIP.ms for occasional long distance calls, and I like VoIP.ms. But I would be more concerned about what would happen to people's numbers if VoIP.ms went under than I am with anything associated with Fibernetics, which has been around since 1997.




How can I tell which carrier or CLEC has my phone number?

Enter your phone number here: https://www.twilio.com/lookup
Please do not PM me for tech support. I help out on the forums when I can. Thank you.
OBi200/202 Freephonline PDF guide (version 1.60) can be found here. OBi200 info can be found here. For OBi202 info, click here.
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Aug 23, 2006
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Mendes wrote: Ive got a phone number that will eventually be used for a business but not for at least a few years. What are the options to park this somewhere until then?


voip.ms still charges ~$1.50/month. Some Pay as you go for $20 top ups will last a year.. Is there anything free or close to it?
Park it with Speakout. $25 per year. But better top up $35 once a while. Is it cell no or landline?
Sr. Member
Feb 27, 2007
648 posts
292 upvotes
Montreal
I agree with parking with Fongo:
1. Cheapest, $25+tax port-in charge, and
2. Option to use the phone via Fongo APP with WIFI, sound not the best.

Whenever u move back to Canada, u can leave your # with Fongo, just call forward to whatever mobile/home# u want. Or port to FPL, pay $75+tax for SIP key and use FPL as VOIP phone free for 'life'.

We have 1 FPL# and 1 Fongo#.
Jr. Member
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Dec 15, 2009
180 posts
11 upvotes
I ported my number to freephoneline.ca for $25 and then pointed it to my mobile number.

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