SunRocket Internet Phone Service Review

SunRocket is a relatively new internet phone service provider that is challenging Vonage for the leadership role in this market. They are not a nationally known brand like at&t, Verizon or Comcast. They do not have sorta funny and sorta dumb commercials like Vonage. But, SunRocket boasts a list of strong features, great monthly or yearly pricing, coupled with a solid guarantee.

We decided to put them to the test. We reviewed SunRocket Internet using our definitive list of questions when researching a Internet Phone company. Let's go through and answer the questions one-by-one.

What basic features do you support? - SunRocket has all the same features that are offered by local phone companies and cable company internet phone service. Everything you've come to expect including:

3-Way Calling
Call Forwarding
Caller ID with Name
Call Return
Call Waiting
Call Waiting ID
Distinctive Rings
Do Not Disturb
Find Me (sometimes called Follow Me)
Speed Dial

I'm not going to explain these features. I'm sure you are familiar with all of them.

What features set you apart from your competition? - SunRocket has a bunch of features that we didn't see anywhere else. Here are their unique features:

7 Digit Dialing - Remember the good old days when you didn't need to dial your area code when calling someone already in your area code? SunRocket brings them back. Just dial the last 7 digits of the number, no area code needed.

Call Logs - Here's a feature that you normally get from wireless phone companies but not from traditional other phone companies...until now. SunRocket lets you view all your incoming, outgoing, and missed calls. Why is this neat? Say that you learn that a week ago you missed an important call. You have cleared your Caller ID from your phone. How do you track down that number? Simply check your call logs. All your calls incoming, outgoing, and missed are all available by date and time.

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

AnyWhere Number - An AnyWhere Number is a second number with an area code outside of your area code. For example, my area code is 949 (that's Orange County, CA) but I have lots of friends and family in area code 781 (that's near Boston, MA). So, I could get an AnyWhere Number with a 781 area code. Now, anybody that really lives in the 781 area code can dial my AnyWhere Number - and it's a local call for them.

Traditional and Cable phone companies do offer a second line feature, but it would still have your local area code. Long-distance relatives 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 whichever numbers you have selected, all at the same time. This way, you can pick up wherever it's most convenient for you. All your selected phones will ring until you pick up, the caller hangs up, or the call reaches Voicemail.

This is similar to a Find Me/Follow Me feature. But, how many times have you ran to get the first phone in your follow me list, missed it, then ran to get the second phone, missed it, then ran to...you get the idea. SimRing let's you go immediately to the closest phone.

Can I keep my current phone number? - Probably yes. Most phone numbers qualify for transfer to SunRocket, however there are some limitations like:

--DSL numbers cannot be transferred.
--The number you are transferring must be in the SunRocket serviceable 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 speak through my computer to use your service? - Nope. SunRocket operates independently of your computer. All you will need to do is pick up your handset and talk.

Can I change phone numbers? If so, how much does it cost? Yes. Just call SunRocket Customer Support and they'll help you out free of charge.

Do the people I call need a Internet Phone? - Nope. Just use your phone just like you always have - pick it up, dial anyone, anywhere and start talking!

What will my calls sound like? - You'll find the quality is typically better than a cell phone and usually as good as a landline. But it's so hard to describe sound. Your best bet is to try out SunRocket. They have a "No Gotcha" 31-Day 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 surfing the web.

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

Can I dial 911? What about Enhanced 911? - Yes. SunRocket provides Enhanced 911 service automatically and at no extra charge.

What kind of extra fees do you charge? - There are no government or regulatory recovery fees associated with SunRocket service. Nor are there any subscriber line charges or other weird charges that show up on your bill.

What is your guarantee? - A 31-Day "No Gotchas" guarantee. This means you can decide to leave SunRocket during the 31 day guarantee and return any equipment within 7 days of cancellation and you will receive a full refund for service charges, and any associated equipment chargers, taxes and fees.

How easy is it to setup my new Internet Phone service? - Super Simple. Super Quick. SunRocket sends you a Gizmo (yeah, it's really called a Gizmo) and you just need to plug my phone into the Gizmo and plug the Gizmo into your broadband connection. That is it. Money Magazine said "Took like two minutes."

What kind of "thingy" do I need? Where do I get it? - Order directly from SunRocket and they'll send you their "thingy"...which is actually called a Gizmo! You probably won't need another router-thingy. SunRocket doesn't require it, but your high-speed internet configuration might require it (like if you want wireless access to the Internet.)

What happens if I move? - As long as you move within the SunRocket service area, you can take your Gizmo and phone with you and keep on calling.

How Competitive are Your Prices? - Very. Not only price competitive, but, as I write this (in February 2007), SunRocket is the low price leader. SunRocket Internet Phone service can save up to 65% over your cable company Internet Phone service. And, SunRocket is 34% lower than Vonage, another leading internet phone provider. All the calls you can make for $17 bucks (as of February 2007). That rocks.

We Recommend SunRocket

We give SunRocket Internet Phone Service a rating of 4 out of a possible 5. Overall, no other internet phone service provider came close to their price. Their closest price competitor was Vonage (as of February 2007) and SunRocket was still 34% less expensive. The only possible negative was that SunRocket, like all pure internet phone vendors, do not offer any kind of bundled services like Cable and Phone companies can and do. Some of the bundles available could save you even more money.

Here is the breakdown of the overall score:

Features - 5 of 5
Price - 5 of 5
Guarantee - 5 of 5
Reputation - 4 of 5
Bundled Services - 1 of 5

If you are looking for just internet phone service without any bundled services (like cable TV or a broadband internet service), SunRocket would be a great choice. SunRocket offers superior features, a simple setup process and is currently the low price leader.
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About the Author

Richard Hew is the Customer Care Advocate at Broadband Phone Reviews and Information.