Vonage Settles With AT&T > how many posts until...

reply to Jerm

Re: how many posts until...

It doesn't get any cheaper than this for a basic line

Dude, put the vonage kool-aid down.
I get dsl and phone service from AT&T for 52.00 a month that includes long distance and everything else.

reply to knightmb
Well, you're missing the one most important thing, reliable 911, which only a telco can provide. No wireless can provide guaranteed no-delay access to the local PSAP, which is operated by the telco, nor can any VOIP company or cable company.

reply to knightmb
Well, you're missing the one most important thing, reliable 911, which only a telco can provide. No wireless can provide guaranteed no-delay access to the local PSAP, which is operated by the telco, nor can any VOIP company or cable company. *repost, for some reason my original isn't showing up*

reply to knightmb
Well, I'm sorry you chose to live in an area that fails to have 911 mandatory, that's not the fault of the telephone company, it's your county you live in for not requiring it.

reply to knightmb
The 911 infrastructure was not built for VOIP, Cable, or Wireless, therefore, you can't rely on such companies services to guarantee 911. Vonage doesn't even offer 911 unless you ask for it, kind of a joke if you ask me. Plus, with Vonage, your 911 call is going over the internet, therefore you are susceptible to all the problems the internet is, and the line isn't physically tied to your location, you are being mislead by refusing to realize the reality of the situations that have arisen in the past and will continue over getting emergency access over wireless, cable, or VOIP. Sadly enough, per the Vonage website, a lot of 911 calls go to their own 911 center, which would therefore cause delay in emergency response because you have someone in the middle answering the call, not the actual county 911 dispatch. You just can't rely on anything for 911 except POTS. As for the reliability of the cable, well, I'll guarantee that a POTS line is more reliable than cable or wireless. You get what you pay for.

reply to knightmb
RE: "I've been through 2 family/local emergencies with it, no problems either time."

Well, best of luck to you when the time comes that it doesn't work when you need it most. I will keep you in my prayers.

reply to cwruck
uh, yeah.

if my Vonage line didn't get 911, the three cell phones I have would. And if they didn't, my neighbor's house is right there and his two cell phones would.

and yes, I've called 911 on Vonage with NO issues or delays.

The endless fearmongering about 911 and VOIP is tiresome. I'm certain that if a car hits the pole out in front of my house, NOBODY'S POTS line is going to work in the neighborhood. So your logic is a bit flawed, as even those who "get what they pay for" would be disconnected anyways.

Tell me it's flawed when you see the day when the problem happens. Plus, cell phones aren't reliable, personal experience, more than once, will never rely on a cell phone when I have access to a land line again, ever. My logic is not flawed, you try working in the business and tell me that it's flawed. Cell phones break easy, lost signals, bad weather causes towers signals to deteriorate, batteries die easier. 99% of American's don't get it, and those that do, well, still have a POTS line. End of discussion.

again, your assumption is that POTS is the most reliable service...seemingly based on you "working in the business". so if you do, how many break points are there with a POTS line? Are you saying they don't have any? Poles get hit by cars. CO's have power failures. Incorrect wiring in the premise. Water in the SLIC. Airplanes hitting power lines to homes and central offices.

Nice stat, BTW. I'm sure you can cite some outside reference to prove your point about "99% of American's (sic) don't get it".

reply to cwruck

reply to cwruck
ehhh...
cells phones work in many situations where a hurricane may have knocked out phone lines. For example, during Katrina, cell phones were the ONLY option for people whose landlines were cut. Also, many CO's were flooded by the storm surge. You guys seems to think phone CO's are located somewhere in heaven, but face the facts: they are just as likely to fail as anything else. NO technology is bulletproof, but at least with cellphones, there is not physical medium b/w the user and network, thus reducing the # of variables that can cause probs.
BTW, of the people whose landlines were still working after Katrina, many faced busy circuits, due to the HUGE overloading of the already-limited phone infrastructure. Also, 911 centers were flooded with calls, thus making a landline a moot point.

reply to cwruck
I went to a 911 call center to observe calls just a couple of weekends ago. This is a small center with 4-5 employees (at any given time) and 32 lines in.

When touring the center, I asked about non-traditional voice calls (Wireless, VoIP, etc.). They take many calls from these sources, but I was told an interesting fact. Of the 32 lines, 28 are reserved for POTS calls and the other 4 are for non-POTS calls.

When I asked why I was told that if they didn't do that they would be inundated with duplicate calls every time there was an accident on the highway.

I don't know if this is practiced in larger call centers or not, but even if my VoIP/Cell network was as reliable as the POTS network, I would hate to think I would have to call back to 911 just because 4 other people were calling in at the same time as me... I would rather take the 1 of 28 odds than the 1 of 4.
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DSLr Mafia Member.

reply to satellite68
You are all misguided, research things before you jump on me about it, there is a reason I'm stressing the POTS line. Personal experience, family, friends, all trouble dialing 911 and getting connected over VOIP, and straight up FACTS.

READ: »www.voip911.gov/
READ: »www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/voip911.html

Check it: "Inform their customers of the capabilities and limitations of their VoIP 911 service."

Guess what? Out of every POTS disconnect that is going to a VOIP service, NONE of them are told about the limitations of 911 and how it is a REALITY and not just some "gimmick" by the telco. What a freakin joke, people have called back in to connect POTS service because of a situation that came up where wireless or VOIP 911 didn't work, no results, someone died, got hurt, whatever it is. It makes me really sad that when someone wants to disconnect their POTS and go to VOIP, Cable, or only wireless, and I hear kids in the background. What if there was a babysitter over, or a guest, who didn't know the address, and when 911 was called, guess what the dispatcher can't locate the person, because it's wireless or VOIP, all that time lost. It's the what if's you need to be thinking about, not "I've never needed it, why should I care now?" attitude, because you know what, the time you REALLY need it is when you don't have it. With the unreliability of 911 on anything BUT POTS, that is sickening that someone wouldn't research it more to make sure their family is safe. EVERY SINGLE CALL. THAT is how I get 99% of American's are misguided, from my own experience and facts, not just some website I found on Google. I am in the 1% that isn't misguided. Very small amount, sadly enough, it should be the other way around. You, yourself, are misguided, so why don't you search the internet or some other source some more and prove to me that your 911 on your VOIP is more reliable than a POTS line. Hence the post by the guy below about the 32 lines into a 911 call center and only 4 are for VOIP or wireless, yeah, real reliable.

I am not doing this to prove you wrong, I am doing this because it's for you, and everyone else's safety, I would never go to only a VOIP or wireless service as my primary form of emergency access.

Now, I am done arguing with you about it, have this post for breakfast, and think about it while you're going about your happy-go-lucky day.

reply to a333
Last time I knew cell towers had to have power and use a land line at some point eventually, so what you said doesn't matter. If a hurricane comes through, do you really expect ANYTHING to work? Really...

reply to cwruck

quote:

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I am not doing this to prove you wrong, I am doing this because it's for you, and everyone else's safety, I would never go to only a VOIP or wireless service as my primary form of emergency access

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reply to well87878787
Where I live the telco (verizon) is worthless for calling 911 anyway. It is easier to just call the police/fire/ambulance number yourself. I had Vonage back when it was $45/mo. and they were still cheaper than Verizon local service without long distance. I used Vonage for several years before I moved to a place where I couldnt get broadband. I am back in a high speed area but currently only need my cell phone or I would be back with Vonage again.

reply to Dezbend
Well, if there are 4-5 ppl working there and you and 4 other ppl call on POTS then guess what...still not gonna be anyone to answer the phone, so its kind of a moot point

reply to cwruck
ditto..... he's a blow hard. i give him 6 months tops and he is gone.