NEW YORK -- The phone industry is now a huge marketplace. Now, even your cable television provider is probably offering phone service. It might be convenient to have all of your fees for cable, Internet service, and telephones on one monthly bill, but how does their service measure up?

When a New Jersey woman had trouble understanding the differences between her new Cablevision phone line, compared to her old Verizon line, television station WNBC decided to look into the matter.

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Michelle Laccitiello, of Nutley, N.J., has been a Cablevision customer for more than 20 years. So, when she saw a recent mailer offering her phone service as well, she decided to sign up.

"Their big advertisement is, 'If you're paying more than $34.95 a month, you're paying too much,'" Laccitiello said. "And inside, it tells you [that the fee has] no taxes, no nothing -- it's all inclusive."

When she called Cablevision in November 2003, she was told she would have to give up her phone number and that she wouldn't be able to use 411 for information. Cablevision was quick to point out Laccitiello ordered her service back when the service first rolled out in New Jersey.

Since then, there have been changes and more are on the way. For instance, Laccitiello still has to get a new number, but that is expected to change very soon. In the coming months, the service will have 411 directory assistance as well as operator assistance, at no extra charge.

Laccitiello also said she was told by an installer that only one phone could be hooked up.

"I have four more phones and they said, 'Well, we don't have the adaptability yet to connect all the phones,'" Laccitiello said.

That meant she would have to use only one phone and go up and down the stairs to answer it. Or, she could also purchase an adaptor and plug it into a modem, and run her telephone wires down into all of the rooms where she needed the phones installed.

However, Cablevision said that over the coming months customers will be able to hook up multiple phones.

However, there is another concern. If there is no power, the phones will not work. This may not ever change, because the phone is linked to a computer, needing electricity.

Cablevision said with cell phones in the home, they don't believe this is an issue. Plus, Cablevision said it will soon offer a battery-powered modem so no one will lose service in the event of a blackout.