Okay! If you are reading this Ooma Telo review, I am assuming that you have already done your research. You already know that there are cost savings and many other benefits to be derived when you switch over to a Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone system from the plain old telephone system (POTS). However right now you are looking for the final confirmation before you decide to buy Ooma Telo. Otherwise if you are just “browsing around” you can always check out the link at the bottom to find out all the details, specifications and other information on the Telo first and then come back to this article later as I will not be covering the product specifications in this Ooma Telo review. Okay, let’s go. I will just get to the points so that you can make that decision to buy Ooma Telo or not without having to read another Ooma Telo Review.
What Are The Points To Note Before You Buy Ooma Telo?
- Reasonably High Upstream Requirements – you will need at least 384kbps of upstream bandwidth. However some users have reported that the Telo works as well at 200 kbps with some tuning – you can the instructions from Ooma’s QoS section on how to do that. If you do not have 384 kps upstream and unless you are on a very tight budget, you might also want to look into AT&T’s offering as at the point of writing this Ooma Telo review, AT&T is offering a DSL only service for $20 per month for 384 kbps upstream bandwidth which fits nicely to Ooma Telo’s requirements
- It comes with 5,000 mins/month and voicemail for the cost of the unit. You will have to pay if you use anything above that. However the charges are very nominal. Incoming calls are unlimited and not timed
- Regulatory fees are covered for the first year and you will have to pay $12/year from the second year onwards to cover regulatory fees
- When you buy Ooma Telo you get a free number. However you can also port your existing number and you will have to pay a one time $39.99 fee
- Some customers reported that Ooma’s porting FAQ is not comprehensive enough to cover all the scenarios. However this should not be an issue as you could contact their support or find answers to your questions from the Ooma forum which is administered by their employees
- This is very minor but If you find that your power plug comes off easily, just use a strong glue to glue it back
What Is Great About Ooma Telo?
- You do not need a computer to use Ooma Telo like other VoIP systems such as Skype, MagicJack etc. Not only do you save money without turning the computer on all day as a typical modern-day computer draws an average of about 50 Watts and makes noise, the Telo needs only about 5 Watts and is silent
- The Telo provides you a RJ11 outlet that allows you to connect to a standard cordless phone. The advantage to this is that you get far better quality, selection, support and spare batteries and parts from major brands instead of having to buy unknown weird, clunky, and/or expensive USB-based, or Wi-Fi-based phones
- Installation is very simple. All the steps necessary to install the Ooma Telo is spelt out clearly step by step in the excellent Quick Start guide
- Online activation is very easy and the Telo connects reasonably quickly. In researching for this Ooma Telo review, a big majority of the customers reported that they were able to connect (make and receive calls) within 10-20 minutes from the time they open the box!
- Voice quality is excellent. The HD Voice technology actually doubles the fidelity of your phone calls by capturing twice the speech information of a standard voice call. As such, most of the time it is far better that of the POTS
- Incoming calls are free. As mentioned in the earlier section of this Ooma Telo review, you will be given 5,000 minutes of outward calls per month. After that you have to pay a nominal fee
- Depending upon your taste, many people find the Telo very chic and contemporary. It looks very nice and has a pleasing aesthetic appeal anywhere you place it
- You can also subscribe to Ooma Premier if you need additional features such as using your home phone and cell phone at the same time, forwarding voicemail to email, second line, back-up forwarding (in case your cable connection goes down), etc. Test out these service for free for 60 days service before you make your decision to subscribe it at $12 a month
- Free in-network calling – call another Ooma user anywhere in the world for free
- Dect 6.0 Support for the Telo Handset
- Access Google Voice and enjoy Google Voice’s features such as Voicemail, Call Presentation, Listen In, and Caller-ID features – all with the press of a button
How Will It Benefit You If You Buy Ooma Telo To Replace Your POTS?
Depending upon their telephone usage, many customers who buy Ooma Telo to replace their POTS have reported recouping their investment in the Telo in as little as 3 to 6 months. You will recover your investments faster if you are a heavier user.
On top of that you get better voice quality and features not available to POTS. If you need even more features like those highlighted above, you can also subscribe to the Premier Service at a very low monthly cost. I hope you will find this Ooma Telo review helpful for you to make a decision to switch over from POTS telephony to a VoIP system like the Ooma. You will not regret that switch but in fact look back and say “why didn’t I make that switch earlier?”