| there is a lot of confusion about terms in this thread POTS refers to the old analog phone system and equipment.
What people really should be using is PSTN which means Public Switched Telephone Network. This is actual "phone network" we use. It can be a mix of analog (POTS) or digital (ISDN). When you have a phone number in the U.S., it is called a DID. This DID can be attached to the PSTN, a cell phone network, or a VOIP network.
When you call a phone number (a DID) you have at some point transfered over to the PSTN. Even if you have a VOIP provider like Vonage or Comcast Digital Voice you are using the PSTN to transfer to VOIP. IF you don't use an actual phone number (a DID) then you don't need to transport across the PSTN.
In other words, the problem is that these fees are associated with the PSTN and DIDs. Notice that your cell phone, Vonage, and even a wireless Internet card are all assigned a DID (phone number). That's when the fees get added.
To avoid the whole thing, don't get a phone number. With VOIP you can call directly to another person and never transport over the PSTN (the phone network). No PSTN, no fees (not even the ugly 911 fee).
The only Fees that you will pay is if you need a DID (phone number for your internet connection. For example, a DSL number usually has a phone number (DID). The same holds true for a just about any broadband connection.
We are never going to see those fees go away until we have a Telco free Internet and everyone is using VOIP. But because these fees are the only profit left in the industry, they are never going to go away. And neither is the PSTN. It is simply based upon proven technology and people are trained to dial an area code and phone number. |
