Which business phone providers actually publish their setup fees?
Summary
The carriers do, and a few cloud providers. Verizon lists $99.99 activation and $200 installation for standalone Business Digital Voice, Spectrum charges $99 per location to install, Comcast publishes state price lists, and Ooma shows a $29.95 one-time activation fee. Cox Business and Nextiva publish no setup amount at all.
Verizon
Verizon's Business Digital Voice page has two sets of terms. With a Fios bundle, a $49 activation fee may apply on a two-year contract and $99 without one, and inside wiring or other installation work costs extra. Standalone BDV is for new customers with 100 voice lines or fewer in select areas, needs an existing internet connection of at least 5 Mbps, and carries a $99.99 activation fee plus $200 for installation.
Spectrum and Comcast
Spectrum splits Business Voice pricing into three regional guides (Charter, former Time Warner Cable, and former Bright House areas), and all three list $99 for installation and $20 for a number change. The Charter and Bright House guides specify that installation is charged per location, not per line. Adding or reconfiguring a jack is $30, and a repair visit for a customer-caused problem is $149.
Comcast publishes its business voice charges state by state. The California list, effective September 1, 2026, includes:
- Standard service installation, up to $199.95
- New jack, $49.95 each
- Repair visit, $99.95
- UCaaS service activation, $199
- SIP installation, $500 per site
- VoiceEdge equipment fee, $14.95 a month, and premises equipment work, $199 per event
A telephone number change is listed as "contact Comcast." The VoiceEdge product page itself shows no prices and says phones are available for an additional monthly fee.
Providers that show no amount
Cox's business phone page describes IP Centrex, its hosted PBX, without a price and points to cox.com/business for current rates. Nextiva's pricing page lists no setup fee but notes that some features may involve extra setup, licensing, or usage fees. The 3CX price list gives an annual price per system based on simultaneous calls, excluding tax and VAT, and has no line for installation or configuration work; 3CX also sells through more than 10,000 partners.
What's listed as free
Ooma's rate sheet shows "Porting/Change Fee: Free," Grasshopper says porting costs nothing extra and that it has no setup charges, and Quo transfers existing numbers for free. Texting registration is still a one-time charge for cloud users: Quo passes through a $19.50 carrier review fee, and RingCentral a $19 brand application fee and a $15 campaign vetting fee.
Sources
- verizon.com/business/products/voice-collaboration/voip/business-digital-voice
- spectrum.com/policies/charter-spectrum-business-voice-price-guide
- spectrum.com/policies/time-warner-business-cable-voice-price-guide
- spectrum.com/policies/bright-house-business-cable-voice-price-guide
- assets.xfinity.com/assets/dotcom/learn/Files/FEDCM-MIG/Batch-3/PDF/pages/Corporate/About/PhoneTermsOfService/ComcastDigitalVoice/CDVDStatePricing/California/CA%20Business%20Pricing%20List%20V101.pdf
- business.comcast.com/learn/phone/voiceedge-virtual-pbx
- ooma.com/small-business-phone-systems/plans
- ooma.com/legal/rates
- cox.com/business/phone.html
- 3cx.com/ordering/pricing/pricelist
- 3cx.com/ordering/pricing/faq
- nextiva.com/nextiva-pricing
- quo.com/pricing
- grasshopper.com/blog/phone-system-pricing
- support.ringcentral.com/article-v2/TCR_registration_fees.html?brand=RingCentral&product=RingEX&language=en_US
Related on this site
- What is not in the published seat price
- Nobody publishes what the fees add
- How much do desk phones and headsets add to a business phone setup?
- If only a few people are on the phone at once, is it cheaper to pay by the line?
- Is Verizon Business Digital Voice really $20 a line?
- What does Spectrum Business Voice cost after the $20 first year?
- Do you need to register before texting customers from a business number?
Written by Kaz (pen name). Figures are copied from providers' published pricing pages on the dates shown. We have not used these products. Corrections: contact form.