dbarc
join:2000-01-22
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to damonlab
Re: No I wouldn't buy it.
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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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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