[asterisk-users] VOIP & PBX replacement suggestions?

[Daniel Seagraves]

The boss wants to move from landline service to VOIP service as a cost-cutting measure. We have one voice line and one fax line. The telco is billing over $100 a month for the two. We're using Hylafax for faxing and a PBX for the voice line.

Our existing PBX is an Intertel Axxess box with the old v5 processor. The management and voicemail computer died years ago (PSU burned up). I'm worried that it's going to die before too much longer. We have the IPRC and several IP Phone+ devices. It's my understanding that the IP Phone+ speaks only a proprietary Intertel protocol and can never be used with any non-Intertel equipment. I would like to dump the entire Intertel box and move to Asterisk instead, but my budget for this project is exactly $0. I can't afford to buy new devices.

The boss is leaning toward getting digital voice service from the local cable monopoly. They want to charge us $30 a month per line to start, and we will have to sign a 3 year contract. The monopoly in question has a reputation for very poor service, but they are a monopoly so my boss sees them as the only alternative. My worry is that if we sign that contract, we are trapped with both the intertel and the cable monopoly, and if I exceed the capacity of the intertel (or it just dies) I am SOL.

My questions then are as follows:

1) Is there a way I don't know about to get Asterisk to talk to either the IPRC or the IP Phone+ directly in such a way that gets calls from one to the other?
2) Are there any reputable VOIP providers that provide business service at a rate less than $30 per line per month? The boss is adamant that we need unlimited minutes.