Use my own Voice Gateway/ATA with Sonic Fiber

[rcoaster]

Hi all-

If I have to switch from Fusion ADSL to Sonic Fiber at some point, will I be able to provide and use my own analog telephone adapter/voice gateway device, or will I need to use (and pay for) only one that is provided by Sonic?

[virtualmike]

Sonic Fiber doesn't require an ATA. There's an RJ11 jack on the ONT that provides the analog service.

[rcoaster]

Thank you for the clear reply. Knowing that, my follow-up question is:

Can I disable (or have Sonic tech support disable) the ATA function in the ONT, and then use my own analog telephone adapter/voice gateway device?

(The reason I will want to do this is, I highly doubt that the built-in ATA supports pulse/rotary dialing, and I need that for my home phone service. I would not want to be buying phone service from Sonic but then also need to subscribe to a separate phone provider to get rotary/pulse dialing service.)

[virtualmike]

I believe that if you get 10GB fiber service, you can opt not to have a phone line, though that service also has different support options. When you order, you can see the differences.

Caveat: I'm not a Sonic employee, so I may not have the latest information.

[rcoaster]

Thanks, Mike. I did see that the ten-gig service is available without phone service included. But, with phone, it is only $10 more per month (plus the same taxes and fees I would pay to -any- phone service provider), so likely staying with Sonic would be my best option, provided that I can use my own VG (since I know of several good ones that do have pulse-dialing support).

[brandonc]

Thanks, Mike. I did see that the ten-gig service is available without phone service included. But, with phone, it is only $10 more per month (plus the same taxes and fees I would pay to -any- phone service provider), so likely staying with Sonic would be my best option, provided that I can use my own VG (since I know of several good ones that do have pulse-dialing support).

Hi,

Unfortunately, our Fiber service does not support pulse/rotary dialing, but there are adapters that can be used. Our CEO Dane made a reply about it on another forums post here : viewtopic.php?f=10&t=17588&p=61686&hilit=rotary#p61686

In regards to your original question, you should be able to use another VOIP service with a separate ATA as they typically just need to plug into your router. So you could order the Standard Internet-Only Fiber, then sign-up with a separate VOIP provider if you want to do so.

Kind regards,

[rcoaster]

Thank you for the clarification and notes, Brandon. If I understand it right then, the ten-gig plan that includes phone service either uses an ONT that has a built-in ATA like the one-gig service does, and it cannot be disabled, or the ten-gig service requires an "official" Sonic external ATA. I did read the other discussion; the external "Dialgizmo" device or similar will not suit my needs.

It appears that my best plan may be that if/when I am forced off my Fusion ADSL service, to just take the $20+ "bite" to keep my real copper phone line, and consider that surcharge to be "the cost of having fiber".

[brandonc]

If I understand it right then, the ten-gig plan that includes phone service either uses an ONT that has a built-in ATA like the one-gig service does, and it cannot be disabled, or the ten-gig service requires an "official" Sonic external ATA.

Our ONT's for both the 1gbps Fiber and 10gbps Fiber service have built-in phone jacks into the unit, there are no separate ATA involved.

For our 10gbps Fiber service, there is a downgrade/upgrade feature within your Sonic Member Tools and you can switch to/from depending on your needs at the moment. So you could start with the Fusion 10gbps Fiber (Internet + Phone) to test things out, then downgrade to the Standard Internet-Only Fiber if it doesn't work out or vice-versa.

Kind regards,

[rcoaster]

OK, thanks, Brandon.