VoIP Now

Zingotel is a U.S.-based company that is traded publicly on NASDAQ under the symbol of ZNGO. The company operates its own SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) network to connect voice, data and messaging content between end points for consumers and businesses. Services include local, long-distance, international calling, video conferencing capabilities, and messaging. Zingotel serves residential and small business users throughout the US, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Their next-generation voice-over-IP network allows anyone with a touch-tone phone and a broadband connection to call anywhere in the world.

Installation and Interface

You need to have a broadband Internet connection such as cable or DSL to use this service. After you register, Zingotel will send a broadband phone adapter to you. You plug this adapter into any touchtone phone, and then connect the adapter to your Internet connection. You’ll now be able to make broadband phone calls to anyone connected to the public phone network using your touchtone phone. Additionally, you can call any user on Zingo’s network for free when you have their service.

Features

Combining the power of high-speed broadband Internet, ZingoTel provides quality Internet telephone service with a host of features to make long distance calling affordable for business and residential customers. Introductory 1st month free, no-contract phone service plans and the power to choose your phone number from a number of North American cities makes ZingoTel your smart communication choice.

You’ll be able to choose a phone number from any one of their supported area codes, and you can add additional virtual phone numbers for calling convenience. Send a FAX (you will need a FAX machine), use voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, and three-way conference calling among other features, no matter if you use the residential or business service.

Add on features include virtual phone numbers, toll-free numbers and a dedicated FAX line at nominal fees.

Zingo’s “Business Unlimited” plan includes up to sixteen phones connected to one IP-PBX device. Voicemail, three-way conference calling, call forwarding and many other features are provided at no charge.

Performance

Generally, the best results with Zingotel’s residential service are obtained with upstream and downstream bandwidths greater than 128 kb/s in both directions. WIPphone service will not interfere with your ability to go onto the Internet, and it will route incoming and outgoing voice calls alongside incoming and outgoing data from your computer. You can make and receive calls while you use your computer to access the Internet, as well as when your computer is off or not connected to the Internet. The way their service works is that it routes your incoming and outgoing voice calls right alongside the data being sent to or from your computer.

With Zingo’s IP-PBX service, performance may depend upon the CODEC used in the service. Some default settings for softphones and SIP desk phones need up to 85Kbps each way using G.711 which means that you will only have ‘room’ for two concurrent calls on a nominal 512Kbps connection (which usually has 256Kbps in one direction). However Zingo uses G.729 by default, which uses a fraction of this bandwidth. This means you can comfortably make up to eight simultaneous calls on a 256K upstream rated connection. Note that the limiting factor on broadband lines is the upstream bandwidth which is always lower than the more commonly advertised download speed.

Service and Support

Zingo Telecom offers an extensive online “Support Suite” with knowledgebase, troubleshooter, download center, news and more. Use their online ticket support system, phone or Web-based access to contact support 24/7. Zingo Telecom offers a 30-day money back guarantee applicable only to user’s first-ordered line per account, not to additional or secondary lines.

List of Features Available on Zingotel

Support: Yes Guarantee: Yes Residential Plan: Yes Small Business Plan: Yes 411 Service: No 911 Service: e911

Call Return (*69): Yes Call Waiting: Yes Caller ID: Yes Click-to-Call: Unknown Fax Line (FoIP): Yes International Calling: Yes

IP PBX Solution: Yes Keep Your Number: Unknown PC-to-PC Calling: Yes PC-to-Phone Calling: Yes Virtual Phone Numbers: Yes