With the Ooma Basic Plan, you can start making unlimited calls in the United States for free after making a one-time purchase of Ooma Telo. To begin utilizing your Ooma home phone service, you don’t need to sign a monthly contract or make a long-term commitment. Upgrade to Ooma Premier for only $9.99/month and get a range of advanced features including an immediate second line and call blocking.
While the Basic plan provides free service, all Ooma subscribers must pay monthly taxes and fees. Why? Ooma, like other telecommunications firms, is subject to local, county, state, provincial, and federal rules and regulations.
As a result, Ooma charges the following taxes and fees in order to comply with government required rules and regulations:
- Fee for regulatory compliance
- Fee for universal service imposed by the federal government (U.S. customers only)
- Local, state, and provincial taxes, fees, and surcharges
Use our tax calculator to get an estimate of how much you’d pay each month in your location.
What are the monthly taxes and fees for Ooma?
Over the course of three years, the following savings are estimated using Ooma home phone service: * Ooma Telo ($99.99) and taxes and fees ($4.09/mo) are included in the savings calculation.
Ooma is free in what way?
I came across Ooma on the internet the other day. With the purchase of an Ooma device that links your phones to the Internet, Ooma claims to offer free internet phone service. My cousin, who works for our local cable company, then inquired if I was going to receive Ooma for Christmas. He’s done his homework on Ooma and intends to buy one this week. That sparked a lengthy conversation, culminating in my conclusion that Ooma is legitimate (it has a Wikipedia page, after all!).
Here’s what Ooma has to offer, according to its website:
Ooma is a ground-breaking device that allows you to call anyplace in the United States without paying a monthly subscription. You can also make inexpensive international calls. Ooma is simple to set up and much simpler to operate. You don’t need a computer to do this. A headset is not required. All you have to do now is connect the device to your high-speed Internet and your existing phone. You’re ready to make your first call and enjoy Ooma’s superior speech quality.
So, how much does Ooma set you back? To use Ooma, you’ll need to buy an Ooma device, which links your phone to high-speed internet. The Ooma Telo and Ooma Hub are the two main options. Both of these devices will connect your phones to the Internet, but the Telo appears to be the most recent type. The Telo is listed on Amazon as having a list price of $249.99, but it is currently on sale for $234.00. The Hub’s regular price is $249.99, but it’s currently on sale for $214.95.
My main concern was whether there were any additional charges. If not, a one-time fee of just over $200 would be significantly better than my present low monthly Vonage bill. Calls are free, according to my research, although there are a handful of add-ons that cost money. To begin, there is a one-time cost of $39.99 to migrate your existing phone number to Ooma. We’d have to pay this cost if we wanted to keep our current phone number. Second, Ooma offers Premier services, which include additional capabilities. Ooma Premier is available for $9.99 per month or $119.99 per year. While you don’t require Premier to utilize the phone service, it does include a second line, 3-way calling, enhanced voice mail services, call screening, and call forwarding. You get Premier for free for 60 days when you activate your Ooma line. If you sign up for a year of Premier service, Ooma will either port your existing phone number or offer you a free Ooma handset.
So, how much money can Ooma help you save? Of course, the answer to that question is contingent on how much you pay for phone service today. Vonage service costs us around $32 each month. We’d return the cost of the Telo or Hub in roughly 8 months using Ooma, with the balance being savings. Savings over two years, according to Ooma, vary from $450 to $930, depending on how much you pay for phone service now.
All of this begs the issue of what the future holds for traditional telephone service. I expected landlines would become obsolete after the debut of internet phone service several years ago. Now that the cost of VoiP has plummeted, it appears that the day will come when telephone service will be nearly free.
Still, if you’ve tried Ooma, please leave a comment and let us know how you liked it.
Is Ooma suitable for senior citizens?
It’s simple to get started with Ooma’s residential phone service. The Ooma Telo hardware comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and consumers say it only takes approximately 20 minutes to set up. Additional system configuration can also be done remotely via the My Ooma interface by a tech-savvy relative.
Ooma Telo is an excellent landline alternative for seniors, since it helps them save money on phone service while also delivering additional benefits, such as improved 911 service and family communication tools.
Is it possible to use Ooma without an Internet connection?
Yes. Where supported, Ooma offers E911 service. When you register your Ooma device online, we will capture your address and deliver it to emergency responders when you dial 911. If your Internet connection is down, you’ll have to call from a mobile phone because Ooma works through your Internet connection. We’ve designed the Ooma system to function with a landline backup if you’re concerned about relying on your Internet for phone service. Your 911 calls will always be routed through your landline in this instance.
What is the procedure for paying my Ooma bill?
Monthly service charges, as well as any charges incurred by your Prepaid Account, are billed using the billing information on file for Ooma Office. Following these steps will allow you to update your billing information:
- Under the Payment Information area, review the billing information that is on file. Click Edit if you wish to change the credit card on file or the billing address.
- Fill in your updated payment details.
- Make a backup of your modifications.
Is it possible to transfer my landline number to Ooma?
Before you can get rid of your landline, you must move your phone number to Ooma. Number porting is accessible in most places for a one-time price of $39.99 per number you wish to port. Customers who upgrade to Ooma Premier on an annual basis are eligible to port one number for free.
Do not cancel your landline service until Ooma has completed your port, which takes around 34 weeks from the moment Ooma receives all of your information. You risk losing both your landline service and the phone number you’re attempting to migrate if you cancel your landline during the porting procedure.
Visit our number porting FAQ for additional information on the procedure, including the expected timeline and what to expect.
Is Ooma compatible with WiFi?
Yes! After connecting your Ooma Telo Base Station or Phone Genie to your home Wi-Fi network, you may put any device into the HOME NETWORK port and have access to the Internet via the wireless adapter.
Is Google Voice a better alternative to Ooma?
When it comes to running a business, uptime is crucial because any downtime means you could be missing out on business possibilities or lowering client satisfaction. As a result, many VoIP providers offer a service level agreement (SLA), which assures that your service will be up and running for a specified percentage of the time.
Most companies begin with a 99 percent uptime guarantee. Because Ooma does not give an uptime SLA, Google Voice is the clear winner in the Ooma vs Google Voice comparison. Service is assured 99.9% of the time with Google Voice, which is respectable in this regard.
It may, however, be better. You should expect roughly eight hours of downtime each year if you have this percentage. When you compare this to a provider like RingCentral MVP, whose 99.999 percent SLA in the same time period amounts to around five minutes, you can understand why Google’s promise could be better.