Verizon Wireless Plans and Coverage Review

Verizon Wireless is one of the largest wireless service providers in the United States, offering a wide range of mobile plans and extensive coverage across the country. Here is a review of Verizon Wireless plans and coverage:

Coverage: Verizon Wireless has a reputation for providing excellent coverage nationwide. Their network coverage extends to both urban areas and rural regions, making it a popular choice for customers who value reliable connectivity in various locations. Verizon operates on a combination of 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G networks, with 5G being the latest generation of wireless technology. The coverage and speeds offered by Verizon's networks have generally been highly regarded and widely available.

5G Network: Verizon Wireless has been at the forefront of 5G network deployment. They offer 5G coverage in select cities and continue to expand their 5G network across the country. It's important to note that 5G coverage may vary depending on your location and device compatibility.

Verizon 5G Nationwide utilizes low-band frequencies (sub-6 GHz) to provide broader coverage across the country. This type of 5G offers improved speeds and capacity compared to 4G LTE but may not deliver the ultra-fast speeds associated with higher-frequency bands. Verizon's 5G Nationwide network aims to provide a foundation of coverage, particularly in suburban and rural areas.

Verizon's LTE network covers over 99% of the US population. Verizon's 4G LTE network covers 71% of the US, making it the number one carrier in the nation. Verizon offers 5G access in 12.77% of the country. You can find Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network in parts of many major cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Philadelphia.

Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, on the other hand, operates on high-frequency mmWave bands. This technology provides extremely high speeds and low latency, making it ideal for densely populated urban areas. However, the mmWave signals have a limited range and can be easily blocked by obstacles like buildings or even foliage.

Verizon has been actively expanding its 5G Ultra Wideband coverage in select cities, focusing on high-traffic areas such as stadiums, airports, and downtown areas. This allows users in these locations to experience the full potential of ultra-fast 5G speeds.

Plan Options: Verizon Wireless offers a diverse selection of plans to suit different needs. They provide both postpaid (contract) and prepaid options. Their plans typically include unlimited talk and text, and data allowances vary depending on the plan. Customers can choose from plans with different data caps or go for unlimited data options.  In rural or remote areas, Verizon's coverage is generally more extensive compared to other carriers. 

Unlimited Plans: Verizon Wireless offers several unlimited plans that provide unlimited data usage. These plans may have different speed tiers, with the highest speeds available on the premium unlimited plan. It's worth noting that after a certain threshold of data usage (usually around 22GB per month), speeds may be temporarily reduced during times of network congestion.

Shared Data Plans: Verizon Wireless also offers shared data plans, where multiple lines share a pool of data. This can be a cost-effective option for families or individuals with multiple devices.

Device Selection: Verizon Wireless provides a wide range of smartphones and other devices for purchase, including popular flagship devices and budget-friendly options. They also support Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs, allowing customers to use their own compatible devices on the network.

Customer Service: Verizon Wireless has a reputation for good customer service and offers multiple channels for support, including online chat, phone support, and in-store assistance.

The cost of Verizon Wireless plans tends to be relatively higher compared to some other wireless service providers. However, the extensive coverage, reliable network, and available plan features make it an attractive option for customers who prioritize connectivity and need reliable service in various locations.

Plans:   Compare Verizon shared data plans. 

Finding the best cell phone coverage just got easier by comparing cell phone coverage reports from other customers. Which wireless carrier has the worst cell phone coverage?

Other Reviews:

• T-Mobile Service Plans and Coverage Review
• AT&T Wireless Service Plans and Coverage Review
• Sprint Wireless Service Plans and Coverage Review

Feedback is always welcome. Please submit your comments below.

@VZWSupport Twitter Chatter
Tweets about @vzwsupport

Watch Blacked Out NHL, NBA, MLB Games Using a Free VPN

With a VPN, Get Around The Blackout

There are many reasons for individual users to block certain streaming service content. In certain parts of the world, professional sports blackout local teams. Services such as Netflix prohibit content from viewing depending on which country you are located in. Geo-blocking is called this process.

Technologies such as Smart DNS or a VPN can get around geo-blocking and make your machine or smart device appear to be located in another country or state. If you fly abroad by having access to content, you can usually view it at home. This can help. It can also actually make it look like anywhere else you live.

A VPN service like IPVanish allows you to join a Virtual Network in another part of the country or world. The VPN makes it appear as your computer is in that part of the world as well. A VPN also adds security benefits not available from a Smart DNS.

For instance, if you live in Canada, using a VPN based in the U.S. will allow you to view the U.S. version of Netflix, which has more content available than in Canada. For more information, check out this article where I explain what a VPN is and why everyone should use one.

This form of service is often used to bypass blackouts of sports networks or simply to hide your identity from would-be identity thieves online. Of course, review the terms of service of your content provider to ensure that you do not breach any end-user contracts. IPVanish is something we like to use for getting around Geo-Blocking. In our analysis of IPVanish, we covered their operation.

How to bypass blackouts: a quick guide

The simplest way to beat MLB.com, NHL.com and ESPN+ blackouts is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), Here’s a quick guide to unblocking NHL games with a VPN:

Start by signing up for a suitable free VPN. 

Install the VPN software, making sure to get the right app for your operating system, and log in.

Log in to your ESPN+ or NHL.tv account. You should find that you can now access games that were previously subject to a blackout.

If you are not able to figure out a VPN you can also sign up and watch on streaming services AT&T TV. 

How To Stream AT&T / DirecTV Red Zone?

Switch to DIRECTV with NFL SUNDAY TICKET and enjoy every live out-of-market game every Sunday.  SUBSCRIBE NOW. 

NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX for exclusive access to the RED ZONE CHANNEL® and DIRECTV FANTASY ZONE® channel.

You'll get all the games on CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, and NFL Network with AT&T TV NOW (formerly DIRECTV NOW). No way to subscribe to NFL RedZone is provided by AT&T TV NOW.

This means you’ll get your local Sunday afternoon games, Football Night in America, Monday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football.

You must either be a DirecTV subscriber to buy Sunday Ticket, or you might be able to get the streaming edition of the service if you live in "select areas in different metropolitan cities," if you can't get satellite TV, or if you're a college student if you don't subscribe to the satellite TV service.

Over the last few years, the company has quietly sold the Sunday Ticket online-only edition more commonly than previously thought. It seems clear that AT&T wouldn't want to advertise the idea that without paying for DirecTV, you can subscribe to the costly Sunday Ticket package since the company would still encourage customers to buy the pay-TV bundle.

Last year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league planned to extend in addition to DirecTV, the delivery of Sunday Tickets to online outlets, which would have ended the exclusive rights of the satcaster on the out-of-market games kit. But it did not happen.

Nflsundayticket.tv is available only to non-DirecTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling unit buildings (apartments, condos, etc.) nationally in the U.S. where DirecTV service is not available, live in select areas within various metropolitan cities, live in a residence that has been checked as unable to access DirecTV satellite TV service due to obstruction

Can The Apple iWatch & Air Pods Cause Cancer (Videos)?

Very good demonstration of the Apple Air Pods EMF radiation 

Apple Watch has HIGHER Radiation than a Phone

How Famous Youtubers are Earning Money

It is possible for a young person today to earn millions of dollars annually, thanks to YouTube’s partnership program. Back in 2018, Ryan Toys Reviews - a five-year-old YouTuber who makes videos that review different toys – became the top earner, profiting $22 million from his videos. It started to gain the interest of a lot of people as to how it is possible for young content creators to earn that much, considering that all they need to do is to make videos and upload it on the website. Back when YouTube was acquired by Google, vloggers who have made a following on the website were informed that they will be entitled to monetize their content. Monetization allows videos to generate money per advertisement created, and it is possible with the integration of Google Adsense with YouTube.

With a reliable internet service provider like Suddenlink, many vloggers in the United States started creating their videos and editing it to gain more attention. Channels began to grow as more people became interested in subscribing to their favorite YouTubers, and more videos were made in a shorter span of time. In the end, those who had the most number of subscribers had the most advantage in dominating the YouTube Partner Program. However, YouTube manages to change the rules every few years, and those who are earning money through the monetization of their videos would sometimes receive various amounts. The total earnings that each YouTubers make depend on a lot of factors, and they do not earn a constant amount.

There are rules to be followed if someone wanted to become a YouTuber who makes videos for a living. The first requirement would be creating a YouTube account or a Google account, and once your account has been verified by either YouTube or Google, you should go straight into your channel and review the settings. Make sure that you check the box which will automatically monetize your videos. The next thing that you have to do is to visit the Google Adsense website and review the settings. This is where you will be putting information like how you wanted to get paid and the bank of your choice. Once you managed to set it up, you can start shooting your videos and uploading them into your channel to start earning money.

The first thing that you need to do is to increase the number of subscribers who are tuning into your channel. The secret to increasing your subscribers would be adding a "Subscribe" plea on your videos to remind the viewers to subscribe. You can also ask your friends and family members to subscribe on your YouTube channel to get your subscribers tally a kickstart. Once you managed to earn your first few subscribers, work hard to gain additional people who would be viewing your videos. Once you are able to create a huge following, like 10,000 subscribers, try to make daily uploads so that the subscribers will be enticed to watch more of your videos. The next thing that you need to work on is increasing the views on your videos. This part requires a lot of luck, and you should think about the strategies on how to make a video go viral, like having a fast internet service to monitor directly how the views are unfolding. Watch tutorials available on YouTube and read blogs online to see how others made it possible for their videos to go viral.

Once your video goes viral, and it managed to produce millions of views, expect your earnings to skyrocket. You can check your channel dashboard quickly if the internet signals are strong and see how your video is performing. If you allowed the video to be monetized, there should be a green dollar sign right next to your video thumbnail, showing that your original content is earning money. If your earnings reached up to $100 a month, you will be receiving a paycheck from YouTube, and it could be in the form of electronic money transfer to your bank. The cycle would continue for months, and it should encourage you to create more videos and uploading them online. However, remember that there are rules that you need to follow when monetizing your videos, and one of the most dreaded rules imposed by YouTube would be preventing other people to steal content and copyrighted materials, so make sure that all of the materials used in your video is 100% original.

Improving Cell Signal for United States Cellular Networks

Staying connected to family, friends and, as much as we hate to admit it, work, while you’re using your cell phone at home, office or vacation home is now totally dependent on having a usable cell signal.

This post explains why your mobile signal strength is weak and identifies which solution will be your best means of getting stronger cell reception in your home, vacation home or small office.

Why do some buildings have weak cell signal

The cause for weak signals inside of a building can stem from a few different sources. As a general rule, anything between your cell phone and the cell tower will weaken the radio frequency (RF) signals that give your phone the ability to call, text and stream data.

Here is a list of things that block mobile signals:

·        Non-Conductive Construction Materials have a moderate impact on your mobile connectivity. This includes materials that cannot conduct electricity: drywall, plastic matter, wood, glass and others will modestly impact your mobile connectivity but, in most cases, will not completely block a strong signal.

·        Conductive Construction Materials have a significant impact on your mobile signal and these materials, like tin, copper, silver, aluminum, and others, have the ability to render a strong mobile signal completely useless.

·        Organic Materials can have a wide-ranging effect on your signal. Depending on the size of the impediment and its material makeup, these can either modestly dull or completely block a strong signal. For example, mountains, hills, large snow-mounds, dense tree or plant matter, bodies of saltwater (conductive material), and more can completely block a strong signal. On the other hand, sparse tree or plant matter, small bodies of salt or freshwater, small or loose-packed snow piles and others may only moderately reduce the signal strength.

·        Weather like fog, snow, rain, sleet, hail, dust, and more, can have a weakening impact on your signal. Depending on the density of the weather system and the distance the signal needs to travel, these can either dull or completely block a strong cellular signal.

·        Mobile Tower Direction & Locations send a limited strength signal in a general direction. If your mobile device is further than the power of the mobile tower can reach or does not fall within the tower’s window of reception, you could receive a reduced signal or none at all.

·        User Capacity is not infinite on mobile towers. As more simultaneous users send and receive signals from a nearby mobile tower, the less power the tower has to offer each user.

·        RF Interference can be caused by being surrounded by other devices that emit an RF frequency that disrupts the signal you are using to make calls, send or receive texts, or stream data using a mobile signal. Naturally, this has a dulling impact on the strength of a usable signal.

Solution 1: Signal Booster

Signal boosters are a very common choice for most buildings. The defining requirement for a signal booster is that the building has a usable signal existing just outside or nearby to the building. Signal boosters capture that outside signal, amplify the signal’s strength and retransmit that signal within the structure. These are wideband solutions, which means they support all US, Canada and Mexico mobile network providers simultaneously. This includes Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Bell, Telus, Rogers Wireless, Sasktel, Bell MTS, Telcel, and all others. Signal boosters support all voice, text, and data signals for 2G, 3G and 4G LTE and support buildings as small as 5 square feet and up to just under 500,000-square-feet. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for a small or medium-size space to over one thousand for larger spaces.

Solution 2: Femtocells

Femtocells are often the go-to solution for customers who only need coverage for a few users in a small space and who all use the same mobile network provider. These are carrier-specific solutions, so if you buy a Verizon femtocell anybody with another carrier will be unable to get cellular service. These are great for buildings that have no signal outside or nearby to the building but have a strong internet connection. These work by creating a mobile hotspot in your home that pulls from your internet connection. These cost between $100 and $400 and require a monthly fee on your internet bill, which varies from provider to provider. These are limited to four simultaneous users and the maximum coverage area on these is usually one or two small rooms.

Solution 3: Active DAS

Active distributed antenna systems (DAS) are most often used in very large buildings above 500,000-square-feet. These solutions require approval by any carrier that the system supports because Active DAS uses base stations and remote nodes that are connected directly to the carrier’s network. This being the case, these solutions are more expensive, require a substantial amount of time before installing, and, in turn, are typically the option of choice for very large buildings and businesses – think sports stadiums, very large hotels, casinos, and more.

Each of these presents a great solution for a specific application. Let’s wrap it up with a simple summary of which mobile solution will be best for your building.

Choose Active DAS for very large buildings that have time, money and a high user count. Femtocells are best for small spaces with strong internet, no outside signal and very few users who are all on the same mobile network. Signal boosters for small, medium and larger spaces up to 500,000-square-feet that have a decent outside signal and need coverage for all carriers throughout the building.

How to Inform Cell Phone Carriers to Fix Poor Coverage Areas

Insta360 VR Live Stream 360 Degree Camera is Awesome!

Insta360 unveiling new Virtual Reality camera at CES 2017 https://t.co/vmms5fkA4s

— Can Bal (@canbal) January 5, 2017

What a great way to broadcast a your kid's game or an event to family and friends who cannot attend?  Would love to hear your feedback on the camera quality.

You can stream the video on a 4G network and also using WiFI.  4K video at 25 to 30 frames per second.  Available for Android, iPad and iPhone.

Here is a video of the Director of AR and VR for Twitter talking about the product.  

Walmart & TracFone Offer Prepaid Wireless

The prepaid cell phone market continues to gain lots of momentum as consumers are still looking to save money. The new discount cell phone service is offered exclusively from Walmart through Tracfone Wireless, a subsidiary of America Movil. Walmart is currently offering two plans: the first is a $30 plan that provides 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts, 30 megabytes of data and unlimited 411 for 30 days; the second for $45 gets you unlimited talk, text and data for 30 days. The discount plans prices do not include phones, which on Walmart.com's Straight Talk brand shop range from LG and Samsung models between a basic $39.98 device and a $328.88 phone with touch-screen, camera and video.

This should bring lots more competition from new sources that AT&T or Verizon cannot just buy out (i.e Alltell or Cingular). This should also translate into more reasonable prices for current plans in the not so distant future.

Ironically there are currently 16 Walmart stores listed in our database as having poor cell phone coverage around the US.  Hopefully, someone diligence from Walmart or Tracfone will find this information and take some action to fix the problems for its' customers.

Related sites:  See Our Tracfone Consumer Generated Coverage Maps

Don't Give Up Your Unlimited Mobile Data Plan

Consumers and service providers alike, are thrilled about the future, most notably in the exciting implications of a ‘connected world’. Consequently, reasoning between the two groups will most certainly vary. Mobile users, listen to my words - DO NOT GIVE UP YOUR UNLIMITED DATA PLAN. Sure T-Mobile and others still offer it, but the cellular savvy knows that other companies like Verizon and AT&T are essential ‘where it’s at. For starters, carefully scrutinize all ‘new offers’, weighing your decision before taking an attractive subsidy on a free phone, rendering your hard-earned unlimited data plan moot by being forced into a tiered/family plan. There are a number of paths to go here, and in this case, I’d recommend the one less traveled for the purposes of saving money and long-term entrapment.

By all means, continue to enjoy HD video, rich media, and robust offerings – with discretion and planning of course. Naturally, all of these great things consume exorbitant amounts of data, and it's especially difficult to keep track of such usage since these numbers are not as cut and dry as minutes. Though companies like AT&T and Verizon offer online data calculators to give ballpark figures for data use, it is hardly an exact science. Alas, you may quickly find yourself speeding towards or exceeding your cap, racking up an exorbitant bill in the process (Note: AT&T and Verizon charge $10 per GB in overages) All things considered, it’s simply impossible to keep track of usage progressively, with apps running in the background and data spikes incurred from streaming high definition video or audio – so what’s the problem if I’m holding onto my unlimited data plan, you ask?

Well, big providers have mulled this over for a long time, and are truly never losing on the infinite media playground. In fact, both AT&T and Verizon were found to have throttled the top 5 percent of data users. Once you’ve been marked as a heavy data user, your access will be slowed during congested network times to free up bandwidth. What does this mean? It means you should definitely use Wi-Fi hotspots wherever possible to bypass the provider network. In the event you need to upgrade in the future, make sure your phone supports 4G LTE (with more becoming available as the technology matures). The reasoning for this? In short, unlimited users will not have to deal with that limit as both Verizon and AT&T have noted handling of less than half their mobile data traffic on the 4G LTE network last year – this equates to less network strain, higher efficiency in data streaming, and zero governance over the enjoyment of a right you’ve earned - unlimited data.

Still, the number of unlimited data customers is beginning to dwindle – while usage is predicted to grow 13-fold over the next half-decade, according to Cisco. In the report, the networking giant predicted that mobile data traffic will expand to about 46 times the total amount of mobile IP traffic since 2010, with more than 10 billion connected devices by 2017. In the meantime, service providers will continue to throw out lines with attractive offers attached to lure consumers into abandoning their boundless access which will cost them and not you in due time [better yet, cost them less while costing you the same].

For now, companies are trapped into continuing to offer unlimited data to existing customers by abiding to the original terms of the contract or face legal backlash. The catch-22 is that this long-time, loyal subscribers won’t be able to fully enjoy new rollouts with an outdated phone that struggles to run them. I offer this advice: for the avid user of advanced features (who still has an unlimited data plan), it simply makes sense to hold on tight to that infinite data allowance by purchasing new devices on eBay (or comparable online marketplace) for a one-time fee and selling old ones to mitigate the total cost. For the rest of us, high expectations are going to naturally come with likewise prices. Without vigilance, the term pays now or pay later comes to mind in more than a literal sense. Whatever your circumstances, I wish you the best.

This article was written by Michael Roden, a VoIP Enthusiast & writer at GetVoIP.com, a VoIP Provider directory and service comparison guide.

Related articles:

Highest rated VOIP service. 

Must Have Consumer Electronics for 2011

• 
  Survey Conducted by SmartBrief.com
  
  
  What will be the must-have electronics in 2011?

  Tablet	46.42%
  Streaming video box or app	19.89%
  Smartphone	10.88%
  Not sure	10.08%
  3DTV	9.02%
  E-reader	3.71%

• Primary reason for to connecting device to WiFi or 4G?

  find exact content	41.47%
  no more wires in living room	20.74%
  cheap content	18.89%
  its new	14.75%

Cheapest WiFi Only Android Tablets

The definition of a tablet computer usually means no physical keyboard and the screen is seven inches or larger. Contrary to public opinion the iPad was no the first tablet on the market and there were many manufacturers like Archos, Nokia, Motorola, Zenithink, Augen, iRobot, Maylong, Plexon who were making them long before. However, Apple has educated the consumer masses that tablet computers are awesome and has provided the fuel for buyers. However, their closed system does not allow you to watch Flash video and thus would prevent you from watching YouTube and many other web sites. We decided to put a list of Android tablets together and surpassingly came up with 9 tablets available at Amazon.com. If you simply want a device to browse the internet and play Android games purchase one of these devices for $100-$400 and save a bunch of money. If you are like many of us and don't use your data plans enough outside the home or office to pay for a 3G or 4G data plan that Wi-Fi only should be sufficient.

Google TV Will Disrupt the Cable Distribution Monopoly

It's great to see networks like Fox starting to pull their programming from Google TV.  This only means one thing!  Networks who believe in programming and cable companies who believe in paid distribution feel threatened.   Google TV is a disruptive technology platform that seeks to destroy a monopolistic distribution model of content and companies like Comcast denies Google TV as a competitor. The cable distribution monopoly and give consumers what they want.  Programming is about to become a thing of the past as more and more consumers just consume what they want when they want.  Not only do they select their programming on-demand but they are not doing it on multiple devices like the iPhone, iPad and Android.  Cable operators have leverage because they are in the broadband access business and starting to get into the wireless broadband access business.  The only thing I think that will begin to protect their business in the short term is to emphasize 3D TV channels which provide a tremendously cool viewing experience (only at night). 

For the longest time cable companies like Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Time Warner have made most of their money charging networks carriage rights.  The FCC knows consumers are getting screwed and has not disrupted this shady business practice and networks have been getting away with it making money hand over fist.   Well, this is all about to change if you can now consumer your programming directly over the internet.  You don't need a cable line any longer when you can download the programming over your neighbors shared WiFi network or your wireless carrier 4G, LTE or Wimax network.   The chart below shows you how the cable companies are losing leverage for the distribution of their content.  They used to own almost 50% of the channels and now they own only 15% as the number of channels have increased and the content has become more specialized.  Great examples of this include the NBA, NFL and MLB who have started their own networks and don't rely on CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox for all of their content distribution. 

Mobile Data Offload: Controlled Network Gateways vs Open WiFi

Not all mobile data traffic is created equal.  Don't be surprised to see your smartphone struggle to get data in the near future.  Carriers are increasingly going to be sniffing your mobile data traffic and discriminate what packet data is coming across the network.  For example: if the company wanted to give preferential treatment to Hulu traffic and block Youtube traffic they could and will start doing this.  Why do carriers want to discriminate data, because this is their only solution to maintain control of the network while also reducing the amount of data on their network.  One alternative would be to offload various sources of traffic to WiFi but carriers are hesitant to do this because they can't add any perceived value or control you.  Consumers are not going to like the user experience and carriers will spin their value add in many bogus ways.  This strategy only limits innovation and is highly short-sighted. 

10 Things A Facebook Phone Could Improve

Creating a better mobile phone experience could help Facebook as it competes against Google for location based advertising dollars.  Google might not be #1 at social, but it’s clearly trying to get better, and it will soon will better social media and sharing features. One of Google’s best assets is its growing user base of Android phones and this Facebook needs to leverage this.  A Facebook Android phone could help give the social media giant more leverage and have a huge impact on their mobile advertising-based platform.  Here are 10 things a Facebook phone would do for its' users and the changing industry:

1)  Improved address book features and automatic updates.
2)  Better instant messaging, VoIP and video chat with people you know and trust
3)  Never use voicemail or get a busy signal again with presence indicators
4)  Improved GPS applications & privacy settings for location-based application
5)  Improved group scheduling, notification and RSVP features
6)  Group chat or instant location conference calls for events and meetings
7)  Mobile payments and a new "Groupon like" coupons
8) Location-based advertising for stuff I actually might want.
9)  Group cell phone buying plans for unlocked phones (500M+ users)
10) Better social gaming and location-based sharing features.

Which carrier would Facebook likely choose in the US?  I think Facebook would like launch as a Sprint MVNO using the new 4G network.

Free Google Voice + Video + IM + Gmail = Awesome

Free Google Voice + Video + IM + Gmail = Awesome

The "holy grail" of unified communications has arrived . . . a solution that ties my email (Gmail), instant messenger (Google Talk),  Video Chat, Free SMS, Voicemail (Google Voice),  Google Calendar, and Google Docs all together into one organized and simple hosted solution.  You can't beat the price which is currently free and it just might fix your cell phone coverage as well.   What finally blew me away was the last step of choosing my new phone number and you can search by keywords, numbers, and zip code.  I typed in my mobile phone number and my new number was only one digit in the area code different.  I now have a (310) and a (317) phone numbers and that is cool!

As a small business owner, this is an ideal solution and could save you thousands of dollars per year if you take the time and get organized.  It's also a solution for the many millions of office and home cell phone users who don't have any mobile phone reception in their homes or office.  It is now so simple to simply dial the number with one click that you can leave your cell phone in the car (if you forward your phone number).  No more dead zones or dropped calls that seem to be getting worse on smartphones that consume more data.  

This is a timely announcement by Google as VoIP competitor Skype now has over 500M+ users and is positioning itself for an IPO.  I think Google Voice will now quickly catapult itself as a big competitor to Skype. The recent announcement of Google calls from PC to Phone is somewhat unique as Skype currently charges for these calls with their Skype Out product.  It is cheap as well but I assume Google Advertising has thought through the math and figure that they can make it free and make more money on the advertising served up.   SMART!

It will also be very interesting to see how tightly integrated the new Google Voice features are with the Android operating system and the New Features on the T-Mobile G2 Phone phone that will be coming out in November.  

Click to Dial from your Contacts or Instant Messanger

Google Voice Transcription on PC or MAC

Google Voice on iPhone and Android

Related Posts:

10 Reasons Why Skype Will Make You Rich

Goldman Sachs Bullish on Telecom Stocks?

I have been hearing lots retail and institutional players scooping up AT&T & Verizon shares recently chasing nice 7%+ yields.  One way for people to do this is through the IYZ ETF which contains a basket of telecom stocks which include mostly: Sprint, Verizon & AT&T which make up 28% of the IYZ portfolio's holdings.  The IYZ ETF has a yield of 3.7% according to Google and Yahoo Finance based on the last dividend payout.

This video above was originally broadcast from the floor of the CBOE by the ETF Super Pit Hit on the OptionMonster YouTube channel on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. The video highlights potential bullishness or a possible hedge on the  trading desks of the largest bank Goldman Sachs.  Apparently a customer of Goldman was looking to buy the Telecom Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) IYZ iShares. Goldman Sachs wanted a July 30th (Exp) 20 call option (Bullish) which is not too far out of the money and relatively cheap considering all of the market volatility we have had as of late.  Some sophisticated investors might also argue this as a bearish indicator or a hedge against a short position in the ETF or long position in an individual stock.  However, strangely Goldman wanted a funky expiration date of July 30th and not the normal month-end expiration July 16 or August 20 (see options expiration calendar).  I am scratching my head as to why they would not take the middle of the month of July or August.  Is there some additional telecom news coming to market in the next 45 days?  Lets watch and see.  Maybe a potential merger or acquisition of T-Mobile or Sprint?

If ETF does make it above 20 it should have room to fly based on technical chargs but what could be the catalyst for this to happen?  Are they predicting that all of the 4G / LTE buzz and the iPhone 4 phone (Not 4G only 3G) will be the driver for this?  I happen to think telecom is going to face some fierce competition from FREE Wi-Fi as the primary competitor to LTE and 4G. I am not particularly bullish but I have owned the ETF for a few years.  The industry and the ETF have not performed particularly well over the last 10 years but I am hoping for the best.

One thing that surprises me is that only 25% of the fund is invested in Mobile Telecom companies and the other 75% is in Fixed Line Telecommunications companies.  Yes . . .  fixed line telecom is a bit more stable but that is not where the growth is.  I am also surprised not to see a small portion of the fund invested in Clearwire as well (CLWR) even though it has its' share of financial issues.  The last thing that surprises me is that cable companies Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner absent from the index. (CMCSA, CVC, TWC).  Cable Companies are making a huge push into telecom right now and will be direct competitors with AT&T and Verizon Wireless soon.

Ticker	Name	% of Assets
T	AT&T INC	18.31
VZ	VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC	12.84
S	SPRINT NEXTEL CORP	8.35
CTL	CENTURYLINK INC	6.25
Q	QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTL	5.23
WIN	WINDSTREAM CORP	4.9
NIHD	NII HOLDINGS INC	4.59
VMED	VIRGIN MEDIA INC	4.02
LUK	LEUCADIA NATIONAL CORP	3.49
TDS	TELEPHONE AND DATA SYSTEMS	3.24
FTR	FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORP	3.08
PCS	METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS INC	2.98
TWTC	TW TELECOM INC	2.86
LVLT	LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS INC	2.3
LEAP	LEAP WIRELESS INTL INC	1.63
ABVT	ABOVENET INC	1.56
USM	US CELLULAR CORP	1.38
CBB	CINCINNATI BELL INC	1.3
NTLS	NTELOS HOLDINGS CORP	1.2
RCNI	RCN CORP	1.2
CBEY	CBEYOND INC	1.05
PAET	PAETEC HOLDING CORP	1.03
ATNI	ATLANTIC TELE-NETWORK INC	1.01
CNSL	CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS	1
ALSK	ALASKA COMM SYSTEMS GROUP	0.97
SHEN	SHENANDOAH TELECOMMUN CO	0.94
GLBC	GLOBAL CROSSING LTD	0.91
USMO	USA MOBILITY INC	0.87
GNCMA	GENERAL COMMUNICATION INC-A	0.77
SURW	SUREWEST COMMUNICATIONS	0.35