Perhaps not the fall of the phone company, rather, an evolution. Even with the rise of VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, it is not likely to bring an end to the phone company but it may change phone service as we know it. I find it a bit ironic that because it is the Internet, phone networks will still be used. After all, even cable subscribers are actually making use of phone networks once you get past the gateway.

I've been investigating this new technology which is designed to be used with broadband service. A company called Vonage is the most ubiquitous but many online services are starting to offer this feature to their broadband customers and traditional phone companies including AT&T are getting involved as well. Vonage's premiere service which provides unlimited calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada is $34.95 a month. That's unlimited local and long distance. If you don't make a lot of long distance calls but make a lot of toll calls in your area, that can still be a real bargain.

I can't speak to the quality of the service as I've not yet tried it, hence, I can't tell you if voice quality is as good as "POTS," plain old telephone service. This is an investigation of the technology not a qualitative analysis but many who are using it have told me it's almost indistinguishable.

Readers should be forewarned, your intrepid reporter does not even own a cell phone. I'm sure that will come as quite a shock to those of you who can't live without your own cell phone and, perhaps, a bit of a disappointment to those who think of me as the ultimate gadget freak. Well, it is true, I am into gadgets. As a former flame used to exclaim with each new purchase, "A man and his toys!"

How then, do I square that with not having a cell phone? One thing you should have learned by now, I have a reason for everything I do and don't do! In the case of cell phones, I had stepped away from the "9 to 5" world at the beginning of their rise in popularity and subsequent fall in cost of ownership so I didn't really have the need. While that certainly entered into my thinking, ultimately, what turned me off to cell phones was the idea that I would have to pay for incoming calls, especially wrong numbers and those trying to sell me something.

Some of you may think you don't pay for that so let me disabuse you of that notion right now. Unless you have a plan that specifically gives you unlimited incoming calls, you are paying for them. If they don't show up on your bill, it is because you have a plan with a lot of "minutes" and you likely don't use your quota in a given month. In other words, the incoming calls are hidden in your monthly minute usage.

Unlimited incoming call plans are usually in the $50 a month range while standard plans can be as much as half that. Why should I pay such a premium in order to avoid being charged for somebody's "right" to call me? Worse, the carriers are making out like bandits because they charge on both ends, the person who makes the call and the person receiving it.

Now, some of you are probably thinking, "Michael, aren't you being a little cheap, after all you do seem to do all right financially?" I can only reply, you're right and I didn't get that way by being stupid! You see, I want to control how I spend my money and every time some clown wanting to sell me something I don't want and haven't requested calls me on a cell phone, he uses my minutes and that's the same as taking money out of my pocket and I DON'T LIKE THAT!

On the other hand, VoIP has the potential for saving the user a lot of money and, by the way, you don't pay for incoming calls. Plus, you get a lot of extra services for which you have to pay extra to the traditional phone company. Vonage offers the following:

• FREE Voicemail
• FREE Caller ID with Name
• FREE Call Waiting
• FREE Call Forwarding
• FREE Call Transfer
• FREE Three Way Calling
• Free Calling to Vonage Users
• Any area code of your choice
• Keep your current number
• Virtual Phone Numbers
• Toll Free Plus
• Great International Rates
• Int'l Fees to Canada Waived!
• Money-Back guarantee

Many of the other services offer similar features but you should check and compare before making a decision.

I don't make a lot of long distance calls, nor do I make a lot of toll calls. However, I have family all over the country and a plan such as this would certainly encourage me to contact them more often. Conversely, while I can't help when I make a toll call, I nonetheless, find the possibility of making toll calls for free, enticing. Further, a lot of people are unaware that even if your phone number is unlisted, if you call an "800" number or other such free corporate service number, you phone number is available to the business you are calling.

In many cases, when you call an "800" number, it appears on a computer screen being viewed by the operator or service person to whom you are speaking. Even if it doesn't, it shows up on the company's phone bill. They are paying for this service and are entitled to know who called and charges are often based on the number of such calls to that service number. If you are using a VoIP service that includes long distance, you can call the company's regular phone number and avoid this invasion of privacy. You may still be asked for your phone number when you call but at least this way, the loss of privacy is a choice and few of them are going to chase you away if you refuse to give your phone number.

Now, before you rush out and make this change, there are some other considerations and hidden costs. First, if you have phone extensions and you wish to maintain this capability, you are going to need a 5.8GHz cordless phone with enough extensions to accommodate your current needs. Why 5.8GHz? You are going to need to be sure that all extensions will be able to access the base station from anywhere in the house or yard if necessary. Second, you need to be sure, they won't interfere with other radio controlled devices and that those devices won't interfere with your phones and 5.8GHz should help ensure that.

However, that becomes a part of your cost of service. A 5.8GHz base station with one phone usually costs between $159 and $179 and each additional extension costs around $79. Further, you need to be sure the base station can handle all the necessary extensions as most such equipment has a limitation on the number of extensions. As you can see, if you have a lot of extensions to replace, that can add up quickly. You should also be sure it uses digital spread spectrum and encryption because you will be using this wireless phone for sending what sometimes might be highly personal information and there are people who use special scanners to find unencrypted information over available channels.

Further, you should remember the need to maintain a separate line for emergencies and a cell phone should do the trick and since unlike me, most of you have cell phones, that shouldn't be an issue. There's another reason to have a cell phone with VoIP, it can help with initial setup.

Most of these systems are self install and the only way you can tell things are functioning as they should is to make and receive a phone call. Since you don't want to wait for someone to contact you and say, "Hey, your phone isn't working," at the end of the setup, you can test by making a phone call from your new VoIP service to your cell phone and from your cell phone to your new VoIP phone.

I'm still investigating this type of phone service and be aware they are not all alike. Some services require a special phone that they offer as a part of their service. Obviously, if I decide to go this route, I have to factor in the monthly cost of a cell phone and deal with my aversion to paying for someone else's right to call me!

***Mea Culpa

Actually, I'm not completely sure about this but several people have mentioned that my contention in a previous column with regard to "leaking plasma screen" televisions is an urban legend.

It is listed at the urban legend site as such and several posts in Usenet groups have also pointed out the implausibility. As I said, I'm not completely sure this is in error as I picked it up from a couple of fairly reliable periodicals that deal with this and other types of consumer electronics. I won't name them as I have no wish to embarrass them as I may have embarrassed myself over this.

The Usenet posts seem to take a position that because the plasma is a gas it cannot leak, at least not in the sense of the legend. Well, in fact, it can leak, it may only leak as a gas but it can leak, at least technically. As to whether it can then stain your carpet, this too is open to discussion. Depending upon the composition of the gas and I haven't investigated the gas used in these devices, gas can liquefy when it comes in contact with the air. Remember, steam over boiling water is a gas, when it cools, it becomes liquid again.

Be that as it may, there are problems with image burn with plasma screens, there is a heat issue, they consume a lot of electricity and given the price of these screens, their screen life is limited.

I apologize if I was in error with regard to the leakage issue but I still counsel caution before making a decision to purchase one.