After GV went down during business hours once, I realized I needed to control the number. It's more expensive than free, but worth it.
You can port out a GV number to any telecom provider for a small fee, including any of the big SIP/VoIP providers. They'll usually provide voicemail and dirt cheap rates -- but not VM transcription.
You can port out a GV number to any telecom provider for a small fee, including any of the big SIP/VoIP providers. They'll usually provide voicemail and dirt cheap rates -- but not VM transcription.