damonlab
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Detroit, MI
clubs: 
| No I wouldn't buy it.
"VOIP should find itself a niche if the quality is high and the costs are low. Once those two problems are met, its biggest stumbling point will be that you can't dial 911"
I would not want a phone that I could not dial 911 with. I would be inclined to use VOIP only if it was free or dirt cheap (remember when they had the free buddyphone and dialpad type programs?). I still would not give up my land line despite the fact I despise telephone companies so much. |
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Mike
Premium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
clubs: | If it's a local phone service, the FCC requires that there be an active '911'. |
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dbarc
join:2000-01-22
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to damonlab
said by damonlab:
I would not want a phone that I could not dial 911 with. I would be inclined to use VOIP only if it was free or dirt cheap (remember when they had the free buddyphone and dialpad type programs?). I still would not give up my land line despite the fact I despise telephone companies so much.
I'd take it (and will look into that company mentioned). It should be marketed like the earlier cable services and how ISDN is still marketed by the RBOC's as for use as a second but not primary line. The VoIP services don't have 911, and neither they nor the ISDN services generally have service during power failures. Even that is almost a moot point with RBOC's deploying fiber to remotes in apartment buildings etc, as with a long power failure, the batteries will eventually give out. With just about everyone having cell service these days, I really don't see a problem with it being your primary service as you have both 911 service and service if no power. (My primary service happens to be ISDN, though it is connected through a UPS) |
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martissimo
join:2001-12-01
Las Vegas, NV
clubs:
| which begs the question, why pay for it...
Don't get me wrong if it was a full fledged alternative to traditional phone services the 20$ a month for 500 minutes or 40$ for unlimited might fly. If i have to maintain another standard phone line or cell phone in unison with the VoIP it is no longer saving me any money, its costing me more probably.
VoIP just doesn't give me the reliability i would need to switch to it, my cable modem has far from perfect uptime and it wont work when the power is out. I mean how frustrating would it be if you lose cable connection and because you use VoIP as your primary service you cant call to report it.
the only people i could see this as usefull too are people who run-up enormous phone bills really (though that is certainly not a market to casually dismiss), neat stuff... but not quite ready for the masses |
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Harddrive
Premium
join:2000-09-20
Norwich, CT
| reply to damonlab
I put VoIP systems in at a enterprise level. 911 isn't a problem for the business because they have the flexability to put CO Trucks in for a route pattern for 911 calls. The voice systems sends the 911 to a trunk which is ID'd at the emergency call center for its location. The hardest part of the VoIP for home users will be the 911 feature. The only way I think they can do it is if they have static ip's for all the phones and link the ip to each person's phone. So if someone dials 911, a data base pulls up the ip address then looks to see who has it then routes the call to the emergency call center. Otherwise you'll have the police and fire show up at your local CO.
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Fortunately I keep my feathers numbered, for just such an emergency.-Foghorn Leghorn |
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Correction
@bellsouth.net
| reply to damonlab
While they are forced to market this as a "second line" solution - there's a VERY simple way around the 911 issue. The primary telephone line to any residence, whether connected or not MUST be able to dial 911. So, if you really don't need any other local features (no power dialing etc) other than 911 - cancel your phone line keep a few old phones around connected to your "disconnected" phone line to dial 911 with. I would not be shocked to see an analog port on future models which will kick out 911 calls - ostensibly for hooked up lines, but on a practical basis you could certainly connect it to your "disconnected" line. |
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Kip patterson
Premium
join:2000-10-23
Columbus, OH
| reply to dbarc
Well, there is a fix. Install lawn mower engines and generators at each cable power supply. Hook them up to the local gas company.
Don't laugh - 381 are being installed in Columbus even as we speak by the Insight folks - and it looks really weird to see a gas meter on a power supply.
They are even putting them on platforms on poles.
Kip |
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