SunRocket Internet Phone Service Review

SunRocket is a relatively new Internet phone service provider challenging Vonage for the leadership role in this market. They are not a nationally known brand like AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast. They don’t have funny and silly ads like Vonage. But, SunRocket has a list of solid features, great monthly or yearly pricing, along with a strong warranty.

We decided to put them to the test. We check SunRocket Internet using our ultimate list of questions when researching an internet phone company. Let’s review and answer the questions one by one.

What basic functions does it support? – SunRocket has the same features offered by local phone companies and cable company Internet phone service. Everything you expect, including:

• 3 way call
• call forwarding
• Caller ID with name
• call back
• Call waiting
• caller ID waiting
• signature rings
• Do not disturb
• Find Me (sometimes called Follow Me)
• speed dial

I will not explain these features. I’m sure you are familiar with all of them.

What characteristics differentiate you from your competition? – SunRocket has a lot of features that we didn’t see anywhere else. Here are your Unique features:

7-digit dialing – Remember the old days when you didn’t need to dial your area code when calling someone who was already in your area code? SunRocket brings them back. Just dial the last 7 digits of the number, no area code needed.

call logs – This is a feature you normally get from wireless carriers, but not from other traditional carriers…until now. SunRocket allows you to view all your incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. Why is this clean? Let’s say you find out that a week ago you missed an important call. You have deleted your caller ID from your phone. How do you track that number? Just check your call logs. All your incoming, outgoing and missed calls are available by date and time.

click to call – You can click on any number in your SunRocket contact list and the number will be automatically dialed for you… and your phone will ring when the call is placed.

AnyWhereNumber – An Anywhere Number is a second number with an area code outside of your area code. For example, my area code is 949 (which is Orange County, CA) but I have a lot of friends and family in the 781 area code (which is close to Boston, MA). So, I could get an Anywhere Number with a 781 area code. Now anyone who actually lives in the 781 area code can dial my Anywhere Number, and it’s a local call to them.

Traditional phone and cable companies offer a second line feature, but you would still have your local area code. Long distance family and friends would still pay long distance charges when calling that second line

SimRing – With SimRing, incoming calls to your SunRocket phone will also ring your cell phone, your work phone, or any number you’ve selected, all at the same time. In this way, you can pick it up where it is most comfortable for you. All selected phones will ring until you answer, the caller hangs up, or the call goes to voicemail.

This is similar to a Find Me/Follow Me function. But how many times have you run to get the first phone on your watch list, lost it, then ran to get the second phone, lost it, and then ran to…get the idea? SimRing allows you to immediately go to the nearest phone.

Can I keep my current phone number? –
Probably yes. Most phone numbers qualify for porting to SunRocket, however there are some limitations such as:

• DSL numbers cannot be transferred.
• The number you are porting must be in SunRocket’s service area. Out-of-area numbers cannot be transferred.
• Cellular numbers can be transferred, but your cellular service will be discontinued with your cellular carrier as part of the transfer process.

Do I need to talk through my computer to use your service? – No. SunRocket works independently of your computer. All you have to do is pick up the phone and talk.

Can I change phone numbers? If so, how much does it cost? Yes. Just call SunRocket Customer Service and they’ll help you. free.

Do the people I call need an internet phone? – Boop. Just use your phone like you always have: pick it up, call anyone, anywhere, and start talking!

How will my calls sound? – You will find that the quality is typically better than a cell phone and normally as good as a landline. But it’s so hard to describe the sound. Your best option is to try SunRocket. They have a 31 day “No Gotcha” guarantee.

Can I use my computer and talk on the phone at the same time? – Yes. Once again, SunRocket works independently of your computer, so you can make and receive calls while browsing the web.

Can I call directory assistance (411)? – Yes. Directory assistance is available through SunRocket. Dial 411 or 555-1212 as usual. You get two free per month on most plans. It’s $.79 each after that.

Can I dial 911? What about the upgraded 911? – Yes. SunRocket provides Enhanced 911 service automatically and at no additional charge.

What kind of additional fees do you charge? – There are no government or regulatory recovery fees associated with SunRocket service. There are also no subscriber line charges or other strange charges that show up on your bill.

What is your guarantee? – A 31 day “No Cheat” guarantee. This means you can choose to leave SunRocket during the 31-day warranty and return any equipment within 7 days of cancellation and receive a full refund of service charges and any fees, taxes and fees associated with the equipment.

How easy is it to set up my new Internet Phone service? – Super Simple. Super fast. SunRocket sends you a Gizmo (yes, it’s actually called a Gizmo) and you just need to connect my phone to the Gizmo and connect the Gizmo to your broadband connection. That’s it. Money magazine said, “It took like two minutes.”

What kind of “little thing” do I need? Where can I get it? – Order directly from SunRocket and they’ll send you your “little thing”…which is actually called Gizmo! You probably don’t need another router. SunRocket does not require it, but your high-speed Internet setup might require it (such as if you want wireless Internet access).

What happens if I move? – Whenever you move within SunRocket’s service area, you can take your Gizmo and phone with you and keep calling.

How competitive are your prices? – Very. Not only is it price competitive, but as I write this (February 2007), SunRocket is the low price leader. SunRocket’s Internet phone service can save up to 65% on your cable company Internet phone service. And, SunRocket is 34% less than Vonage, another leading provider of Internet telephony. All calls you can make for $17 dollars (as of February 2007). That’s cool.

We recommend SunRocket

We provide SunRocket Internet phone service a rating of 4 out of 5 possible. Overall, no other internet phone service provider came close to its price. Its closest price competitor was Vonage (as of February 2007) and SunRocket was still 34% less expensive. The only possible downside was that SunRocket, like all pure Internet phone providers, doesn’t offer any kind of bundled services like cable and phone companies can and do. Some of the available packages could save you even more money.

Here is the total score breakdown:

• Features – 5 out of 5
• Price – 5 out of 5
• Guaranteed – 5 out of 5
• Reputation – 4 out of 5
• Combined Services – 1 of 5

If you’re looking for just Internet phone service without bundled services (such as cable TV or broadband Internet service), SunRocket would be a great option. SunRocket offers superior features, a simple setup process, and is currently the low price leader.