voip and 911

[connorsmom911]

We just had another training session on voip at work today (I dispatch for the fire dept) and we got a link to a great web-site that outlines the things to consider when you are researching voip. Please read this and understand what you are getting into.

www.911voip.org

If anyone has any questions on it from the 911 perspective, please feel free to ask and I'll answer as best I can. It's great technology, but it's also a "buyer beware" situation and most of the liability will rest with you the consumer, so make sure you know exactly how it will work if you have an emergency and need to call 911.

Tracey

 

[Soupermom]

Okay. I'll be the first to ask....WHAT is VOIP??????????????

 

[connorsmom911]

voice over internet protocol...it's basically having your phone line through your computer. In some cases you can have a phone number that is in another city or state, thereby saving you huge in long distance bills, but there are some drawbacks, like no 911 service or partial 911 service, which is outlined in the link above. Although I like the idea and the technology is great, they really haven't addressed the 911 issue in a satisfactory manner.

Hope that answers your question!

Tracey

 

[summerrluvv]

I have Vonage and wouldn't trade it for the world. It's inexpensive and my 911 service works fine. I called it once and I was connected directly to the dispatcher and number and address came up on their screen.

Vonage (and other similar companies) have detailed information about 911 calling on their website. They aren't hiding anything.

 

[connorsmom911]

I never said they were "hiding" anything, I'm just suggesting that people really read the fine print. I have read the Vonage web-site, in particular the section on 911 service and the new E911 service, but even though they may now have a way to transmit your information automatically, it is still information that you are responsible for providing and updating, it's not automatically there...leaves the potential for errors and delays.

And what happens when you need to call 911 and the power is out at your house?

Just food for thought...

Tracey

 

[summerrluvv]

I never said they were "hiding" anything, I'm just suggesting that people really read the fine print. I have read the Vonage web-site, in particular the section on 911 service and the new E911 service, but even though they may now have a way to transmit your information automatically, it is still information that you are responsible for providing and updating, it's not automatically there...leaves the potential for errors and delays.

And what happens when you need to call 911 and the power is out at your house?

Just food for thought...

Tracey

You use your cell phone. Most people these days have cordless phones in their homes, and when the power goes out, they don't have access to dial 911 either.

 

[unixadm]

And what happens when you need to call 911 and the power is out at your house?

Just food for thought...

Tracey

I have Vonage and love it.

Since the required equipment is my Cable Modem, Router and the Vonage ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter), and these are all by my computer, I have them hooked to a UPS (Uninterupptable Power Supply) that has a battery backup. When our power goes out, our phone keeps working.

Also, we have cell phones that we could use as backup.

When we had Verizon up in NJ, we had more times where our phone went out than our power. For a while, everytime it rained, our phone went out and by the time Verizon came out, it would dry out and they would come back.

I had much better service with Vonage and my cable modem than with Verizon. Now that I have moved to a new house in Georgia, I just brought my Vonage with me and never had Bell South hook the line to the house.

 

[summerrluvv]

LOL..I just realized I posted my "dorney park" thread as a reply rather than a new post. I was wondering where my post was LOL! OOPS