Can I have a single phone number?

I recently signed up for Google's new voice service called Google Voice ("GV"). This universal phone number helps bring closer to reality the concept of having a single phone number that you can give to people and allow them to reach easily and under your terms. With Google Voice you can call or SMS or receive either with a single number.

The service allows you to setup rules and hierarchies in terms of what happens when the number is called depending on whom the call is from and what time of day it is, etc. For example you can have your GV number just ring your cell phone or have it sequentially call your home phone and then cell phone and then perhaps another number.

Having a universal phone number is liking owning your domain. You now control it no matter what happens to the underlying phone numbers and services. Even with number portability this is still a good thing.

The good news is as with almost all Google app, it is "free" so you can request you own invite and try it out on your own. Of course "free" is in the purely monetary sense only as Google will surely try and monetize this service in the future by scanning your calls and texts and serving up ads.

For now try it out and see it can make your life easier in connecting up with the folks you want to and screening out the folks you don't.