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About ECR Voice
• What is ECR Voice?
• How can ECR Voice benefit me?
• Can I keep my existing phone number?
• Can I use my existing phones?
About VoIP
• What is VoIP?
• What do I need to use VoIP?
• What is broadband Internet Service?
• How is the sound quality?
• What are the minimum bandwidth requirements?
• Do I have to use my computer to make phone calls?
• Can I still call people who use traditional phone service?
• Does ECR Voice support 911 emergency services?
About Your Account
• How do I sign up?
• Can I keep my existing phone number?
• When can I start using my service?
• What rate plans do you offer?
• When can I cancel my existing phone service?
• Are there any setup fees?
• Are there any cancellation fees?
• Am I locked into a contract?
• How do I cancel ECR Voice?
Billing
• How will I be billed?
• Can I pay by check?
• What fees and/or surcharges are there on my monthly bill?
• Is there a fee for technical support?
• What if I cancel my service?
Technical Details
• Can I have more than one phone in my house?
• Can I use my old answering machine instead of the included voicemail?
• What if I have a router?
• Does ECR Voice support fax machines, modems, TIVO Boxes, or Direct TV Boxes?
• Can I use a credit card machine with ECR Voice?
• Will my phone service be affected if I am downloading a large file?
• How secure is ECR Voice?
• If I choose a phone number that is outside of my area code, will other people in my area code be charged for calling me?
• Can I use my VoIP phone with ECR Voice?
What is ECR Voice?
ECR Voice is a telephone service that uses a technology called Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP). We offer unlimited local and long distance calling for one low monthly rate.
How can ECR Voice benefit me?
By replacing your expensive local phone service, ECR Voice can save you money! You no longer get billed by the minute for long distance calling, and you don’t have to resort to a cell phone with static and dropped calls in order to do it. ECR Voice also includes for free many features that you would normally have to pay extra for, and several that are not possible with traditional phone systems.
Can I use my existing phones?
Yes! ECR Voice internet phone service works with any standard touchtone phones.
What is VoIP?
Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a new technology that allows you to make and receive calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a standard phone line. VoIP converts your phone calls into data that zips through your high speed internet connection just like email. It comes out on the other end just like a regular phone call.
What do I need to use VoIP?
In order to use VoIP, all you need is a broadband Internet Connection and a touch-tone phone. ECR Voice also requires you to have a credit card with a U.S. Billing address.
What is Broadband Internet Service?
Broadband is continuous, high-speed internet connection. The most common types are cable and DSL. Cable internet is offered by your local cable company and DSL is generally offered by your local phone company.
Note: Some phone companies require you to have local phone service in order to use DSL. If you have DSL through your phone company, check with them to make sure “naked” DSL is available to you.
How is the sound quality?
You should not be able to notice any difference between ECR Voice and your previous phone service as long as your internet connection meets the minimum bandwidth requirements. If you do notice a reduction in quality, you may be experiencing problems with your internet connection or it may be slower than the minimum bandwidth requirements. If this occurs, check with your broadband provider to see if the problems with your internet connection can be resolved.
What are the minimum bandwidth requirements for ECR Voice?
ECR Voice uses advanced compression technology that is based on G.729, an international voice compression standard. Generally, the best results are obtained with upstream and downstream bandwidths of greater than 86 kb/s. Telephone service can be obtained below 86 kb/s but audio quality may be adversely affected.
Do I have to use my computer to make phone calls?
Absolutely not! Once you are connected, just pick up the phone and use it. You can use the same touch-tone phone you use with traditional phone lines. There is a web portal that allows you to change advanced features on your account, or change some of the basic features without using Activation Codes (* Codes) on your phone.
Can I still call people who use traditional phone service?
There are no restrictions on who you can and cannot call within the United States. For other countries there are reduced rates, which you can lookup on the International Rates page.
Does ECR Voice support 911 emergency services?
Yes it does. 911 Emergency Services require the call to be routed to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) associated with the physical location. We have a technique that allows us to ensure the 911 call is routed to the correct PSAP with the correct phone number.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up right here on our website with the Signup Form, or you can call us at 1-877-ECR-VOICE and sign up over the phone. Hours for signup by phone are 8:00am-12:00am Eastern Standard Time.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
In most cases you can transfer your existing phone number. To find out if your number is eligible, check the Availability Page Once your decide to port your number, you will need to complete the Letter of Authorization form and send it to us via mail or fax along with a copy of your most recent phone bill. Note: It is important that the address listed on your phone bill matches the address on the Letter of Authorization form exactly.
Download the Letter of Authorization form
When can I start using my service?
Once you signup and activate your account (by acknowledging the 911 Dialing information) we will ship your adapter within 2-5 business days. Setup only takes a few minutes, and you’ll have a temporary number you can start using immediately with the service. We’ll notify you when your existing number ports, or your new number for your area is activated.
What rate plans do you offer?
We currently offer three plans:
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ECR Voice Basic - $14.95 per month
- 300 outgoing minutes per month and unlimited incoming minutes.
- Unlimited calling to ECR Voice customers. Additional minutes are billed at only 2.9c per minute.
- No extra charge for long distance.
- Low International rates.
- Includes all the great features that come with the Unlimited Plan.
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ECR Voice Unlimited - $24.95 per month
- Unlimited Local and Long Distance calling anywhere in the United States.
- Low international rates.
- Includes our extensive list of extra features at no additional cost.
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** NEW ** ECR Voice Unlimited - $249 per year
- save nearly 17% on our most popular $24.95 a month Unlimited Plan!
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ECR Voice Business - $49.95 per month
- Unlimited Local and Long Distance calling anywhere in the United States.
- Low international rates.
- Includes our extensive list of extra features at no additional cost.
All ECR Voice plans come with a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee!
When can I cancel my existing phone service?
If you are signing up with a new phone number, you can cancel your existing phone service as soon as you get your ECR Voice adapter set up and verify that it is working. If you are porting your phone number, however, it is important to wait until the port is completed before canceling it. If you cancel it before that time, you may lose your phone number and/or have an interruption in phone service. You will be notified by email of the date the transfer will take place.
Are there any setup fees?
There are no upfront charges for the VoIP adapter. The only charge you pay initially is an activation fee of $29.99 in order to set up your account and secure your new or transferred phone number.
Are there any cancellation fees?
Although a refundable termination fee of $49.99 will be taken when your account is cancelled, it will be refunded when the adapter is returned according to the Terms of Service.
Am I locked into a contract?
There are no contracts. You may keep your ECR Voice account for as long as you want and cancel any time you want.
How do I cancel ECR Voice?
To cancel, call us at 1-877-ECR-VOICE. We do not accept email cancellations for your security. There is a charge of $49.99 for cancellation, but it will be refunded if you return your VoIP adapter in original condition within the specified time frame. Check our Terms of Service for more details.
How will I be billed?
The credit card you give us when you sign up will be billed automatically each month. There is no paper bill to send in. You will receive a statement in your email with the payment details. Your account will extend indefinitely until you decide to cancel.
Can I pay by check?
At this time, we do not accept payment by check. You must have a credit card with a U.S. billing address on file.
What fees and/or surcharges will there be on my monthly bill?
There are three fees you can expect to see on your monthly bill:
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911 Fee: $1.50 per phone number
- This fee is used to recover costs directly associated with developing, implementing and maintaining a nationwide E911 system in compliance with FCC regulations, and any fees assessed by State and/or local governments to pay for emergency services in your community. ECR Voice bills and collects 911 fees from its customers and pays the appropriate service provider for providing the E911 database look-up.
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Regulatory Recovery Fee: $1.50 per phone number
- This fee helps offset costs incurred by complying with inquiries and obligations imposed by federal, state, and municipal regulatory bodies/governments, and the related legal and billing expenses. This fee is not a tax or charge required or assessed by any government. The Regulatory Recovery Fee will apply to every phone number assigned, including toll free and virtual numbers.
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Universal Service Fund: between $0.97 - $2.35 per phone number
- ECR Voice is required by the FCC to contribute to the Federal Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF is a federal program aimed at ensuring the availability of affordable telecommunications services to schools, libraries and rural healthcare facilities; it also serves to subsidize local service in high-cost areas and low-income households. The USF is funded by telecommunications companies that provide service between states and/or international service. ECR Voice makes contributions to the USF and the fee that appears on customers’ statements is a monthly charge to recover those contributions. For more information on the USF, please visit www.fcc.gov.
Is there a fee for technical support?
Technical support is always free! You can either call us at 1-877-ECR-VOICE, or you can use our online support chat.
Click Here to CHAT LIVE with a tech now
What if I cancel my service?
We offer a 30 day risk free trial. So if you cancel within the first 30 days and return the equipment we'll refund the full amount you paid at signup.
After 30 days, if you have a monthly billing plan, your service will be cancelled so that no charges will be made on your next billing date.
After 30 days, if you have an annual billing plan, we’ll calculate the months used at the standard $24.95 month price. Once we receive the returned equipment we will refund the difference from amount paid at signup.
Can I have more than one phone in my house?
There are two ways to accomplish this. The first is to purchase an expandable cordless phone system. This allows you to plug one phone into the VoIP adapter and all of the other phones automatically sync to it so that they all ring and you can talk on any of them. The second way is by setting up your VoIP adapter so that all of the phone jacks in your house are active. This process involves disconnecting the incoming phone line in a box outside your home, and then plugging the VoIP adapter into one of the existing phone jacks. DO NOT complete this process until you have tested your adapter, or while you are waiting for your phone number to be ported. Doing so could result in an interruption in phone service.
Click here for complete instructions for whole house activation
Can I use my old answering machine instead of the included voicemail?
You can use any traditional answering machine by disabling the voicemail included with your ECR Voice account. However, several of the advanced voicemail features will be unavailable if you do this. We recommend that you use the ECR Voice voicemail system.
What if I have a router?
If you have a router, the VoIP adapter needs to be connected before the router or it will not work properly. Just connect the adapter directly to your Cable or DSL modem, and then connect the pass-through to your router.
Does ECR Voice support fax machines, modems, TIVO Boxes, or Direct TV Boxes?
Fax machine, modems, TIVO boxes, and Direct TV boxes may not work reliably on your voice line. A separate fax line is available for $14.95 a month.
Can I use a credit card machine with ECR Voice?
Credit card machines should not be used with your voice line.
Will my phone service be affected if I am downloading a large file?
The adapter you will receive is equipped with QoS (Quality of Service). This is a networking function that prioritizes bandwidth allocation. It will ensure that the amount of bandwidth needed for your phone service to work properly is always available. When you are not using the phone, that bandwidth will be available to any other devices on the network.
How secure is ECR Voice?
A conversation using ECR Voice is actually more secure than a standard phone line, which can be tapped relatively easily. Your conversation is converted into data which is encrypted, and there are security measures protecting the servers handling your calls. Furthermore, your calls contain no identifying or personal information.
If I choose a phone number that is outside of my area code, will other people in my area code be charged for calling me?
The phone number you choose will function as though you are located in that area code regardless of your actual location. ECR Voice cannot guarantee any person will or will not be able to call you without accruing charges. If somebody you know is unsure of whether or not calling you will be a long distance call, they should check with their phone service provider.
Can I use my VoIP Phone with ECR Voice?
VoIP phones are not supported at this time. Any standard touchtone phone will work with your VoIP adapter.
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