Originally Posted by
KelvinAng
There are some services using SIP such as 2Talk and iTalk (I think they are the same company but with products packaged differently) which allows you to get local regional numbers as your dial-in number, so it can be an alternative to NZ land lines.
However the trick lies in obtaining broadband access. In many places the only way you can get broadband is via ADSL, which requires you to have a "live" land line connection with Telecom. The ISP will often package this together in a Phone Line + Broadband one-bill package, but underlying the package is actually a ~$40 Telecom line rental fee. This is slowly changing with some places offering cable and "naked" DSL which requires no "live" land line with Telecom but the roll-out has slow.
Quality with a VoIP phone call varies greatly. Sometimes I get really clear and instant voice, but sometimes I get the horrible lag.