For SunRocket Customers It's Slim Pickins

ViaTalk, Phone Power, BroadVoice VoIPVoIP, TeleBlend…who are these companies and why would I trust them with my phone service (never mind my money) now that I've been burned by the SunRocket implosion. I came home from a week's vacation to find a Dear John email informing me that I've got no phone because SunRocket shut down its business while I was out. I'm one of 200,000 customers who relied on SunRocket's VoIP service. Thankfully, it was my weekend retreat home and not our main number (gulp…the main number is Vonage), scarier than losing the service is the alternative choices.

 I can't quite bring myself to switch to any of these other companies. They all have that certain fly by night feel.

Here are a few I've researched and a run down on what they're offering SunRocket casualties. Which one would you do?

ViaTalk begins with an apology on their homepage notifying you of how hard the company's been trying to keep up with the volume since SunRocket closed its doors last week. ViaTalk can't guarantee number portability and it won't work with SunRocket equipment. When you sign up for ViaTalk for $199 a year, you will receive up to three months of your unused SunRocket contract time for free. It's something, though in my case I had six months of service left. ViaTalk is one of SunRocket's preferred partners in this transfer of customers. Healthy Skeptic Says: Makes me nervous when a site apologizes for delays before it even says hello.

Phone Power allows you to keep your existing number and it'll trade in your SunRocket equipment for its own equipment. Cost is $9.95 a month for the first six months and then $21 a month from then on. An annual plan is $200. Healthy Skeptic Says: Makes me nervous that the company's support page is coming soon. Seems like they went into business yesterday.

BroadVoice's basic worldwide plan runs $29 a month and the company will port your existing SunRocket number. Healthy Skeptic Says: I looked up my NY number and there's no way they're porting it. Plus, the company only provides sketchy information on whether you can use your existing equipment.

TeleBlend: Until the end of your annual contract TeleBlend will give you the exact same services you know from SunRocket for only $12.95/month. It's slightly more money, but not bad. TeleBlend is one of two preferred providers chosen by SunRocket. Healthy Skeptic Says: Getting chosen by SunRocket is not exactly a shining endorsement. Also, USA Telephone is TeleBlend's telecom provider and it's not exactly a household name. Most terrifying is that reports are circulating that say TeleBlend was a URL just purchased on July 18th.

VoIPVoIP: Either pay as you go (3 cents a call) or $6.99 a month for migrating SunRocket users. It'll move your phone number for you, but first it gives you a temporary number with the same area code. Healthy Skeptic Says: The site claims that you can use your SunRocket equipment. All you need to do is follow some terrifying instructions on some guy's blog!

Packet8: It was number three after Vonage and SunRocket in terms of customers. It's offering free activation, free phone, free equipment, free month of service and portability of your phone number. Not a bad deal if you believe in the number three.

Vonage, the other large provider, is involved in lots of litigation with Verizon now. If the market doesn't get them, then the legal fees will.

My gut tells me to cough up the money and use one of the new triple play (phone, TV, Internet) services from the big guys like Comcast or Time Warner. I wanted independent VoIP providers like the ones mentioned above to succeed. But I have a feeling that with SunRocket gone the others will fall like a house of cards. No room for amateurs when it comes to phone service, and once again we learn there's no such thing as a bargain.