Have you considered using VoiP for your phone service?  I certainly did, and after using two different companies, I have a clear choice of which one I prefer.  I will explain a bit about which one I prefer and exactly why I prefer it.  I have Vonage currently, and approximately 2 years ago, I had AT&T’s VoiP service.  Between the two, I personally prefer AT&T. 

My reason for preferring AT&T is simple, they offer a 1-800 number in which you can call from a payphone, enter your access ID number, and then make a phone call as if you are calling from your home phone!  Even works from a payphone, or if your calling from a number you want to keep private.  This nifty little feature is included standard in their monthly fee and does not cost any extra.  Since their service included unlimited calls nationwide, there are no extra fees associated with going over minutes or any other hassles.  I am the type of person who usually has bad luck and ends up stuck somewhere with a dead cell phone battery, so for me this feature was great. 

Vonage is a bit for expanded in their coverage area; however, their service seems to be a bit less robust than AT&T’s service.  I have an internet-based business, and it involves the use of a lot of bandwidth being carried over my internet connection, this is normally not a problem, until I try to use the phone at the same time as working.  I always have to adjust the speed limits on the bandwidth when I am on the phone now.  This is a major hassle at times. 

Please do note however, I do use a lot more bandwidth than the normal internet user, most people are quite happy using dial-up or 1.5MB DSL from their local phone company.  I however, cannot function with anything less than the 8MB that is the highest I can get for less than a thousand dollars a month in my area. 

When I am not busy working and using a lot of bandwidth at the same time, the vonage service works wonderfully.  The features are great and the service honestly is not badly priced.  I however do recommend avoiding the 500 minute a month package, as it is quite easy to chew up 500 minutes before you have even realized it.  I tried this package for a month just to see if it was possible to save a few more bucks a month, and found myself having to stay off the phone completely for a couple of days.  Not a fun experience at all. 

Vonage has features such as: Voicemail Plus, Caller ID with Name, Call Waiting, Call Return, Repeat Dialing, International Call Block, 311 Dialing, Call Forwarding, Call Transfer, Call Hunt, Area Code Selection, Vonage V-Forecast, 511 Traveler Information, Vonage Moves With You, V-Access, Ring Lists, Click-2-Call, Caller ID Block, 3-Way Calling, In-Network Calls, 811 Dialing, and Keep Your Phone Number. 

AT&T Call Vantage offers features such as: Caller ID with Name, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, 3-Way Calling, E-911 Service, Call Logs, Voice Mail, Phone Book, Locate Me, Do Not Disturb, Speed Dial, Safe Forward Number, Fax and Modem Support, Directory Assistance, and Control by Phone.  Other features are also available, however those are not included in the normal rate charges and do cost extra. 

While vonage does offer more services and features, I do really like the remote access number that Call Vanage has.  Both offer packages that are close to the same price, so it really becomes a case of who has the features you need, and offers service in your area.