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

 

[Galahad]

For the life of me I don't understand why anybody would get voip. It's just trading one "tethered" phone service for another.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

For the life of me I don't understand why anybody would get voip. It's just trading one "tethered" phone service for another.

We switched to Vonage after Verizon incorrectly billed us three months in a row for over $200 each month.

We've had Vonage for 7-8 months now and haven't had any problems and our bills went from $125+ a month to $35 including DHs international calls. I was well aware of the 911 issues and addressed them quickly after changing services.

 

[Galahad]

We switched to Vonage after Verizon incorrectly billed us three months in a row for over $200 each month.

We've had Vonage for 7-8 months now and haven't had any problems and our bills went from $125+ a month to $35 including DHs international calls. I was well aware of the 911 issues and addressed them quickly after changing services.

Do you also have cell phones?

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

Do you also have cell phones?

Yes, we've had them. Why?

 

[Galahad]

Yes, we've had them. Why?

Why not just have cell phones then and forget another phone service? It's worked great for us for over 3 years now. We are saving a ton of money, don't have the hassles of multiple providers and we're always "home". I think the real wave of the future is completely wireless communication - phone and wireless internet. VOIP seems a step in the wrong direction down that path, that's all. I suppose you could have a wireless internet connection in one of the new natonal wireless "clouds" and then use VOIP over that connection, but it just seems like one layer too many.

 

[oogieboogie]

For the life of me I don't understand why anybody would get voip. It's just trading one "tethered" phone service for another.

Because DH can't get a fax line with cell phones.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

Why not just have cell phones then and forget another phone service? It's worked great for us for over 3 years now. We are saving a ton of money, don't have the hassles of multiple providers and we're always "home". I think the real wave of the future is completely wireless communication - phone and wireless internet. VOIP seems a step in the wrong direction down that path, that's all. I suppose you could have a wireless internet connection in one of the new natonal wireless "clouds" and then use VOIP over that connection, but it just seems like one layer too many.

Because DHs family is overseas, it wouldn't be cheaper for us to call Europe on our cell phones. With Vonage we're paying $.03 a minute to call France vs. the $.10 a minute with Verizon and I don't even want to know cost through our cell phone provider.

It's possible to have cell phone only, but not for our family. I doubt my mother in law would accept not being able to talk to her grandkids because we don't have a phone line at the house.

 

[Galahad]

Because DH can't get a fax line with cell phones.

Ah, that make sense. We use a "net-fax" site to get around that problem. Faxes are sent to a phone number and then show-up in e-mail. To fax out, we scan and reverse the process. We don't fax very often though. If you did it a lot you might need another solution.

Even our home security system uses a cell phone now.

 

[Galahad]

Because DHs family is overseas, it wouldn't be cheaper for us to call Europe on our cell phones. With Vonage we're paying $.03 a minute to call France vs. the $.10 a minute with Verizon and I don't even want to know cost through our cell phone provider.

It's possible to have cell phone only, but not for our family. I doubt my mother in law would accept not being able to talk to her grandkids because we don't have a phone line at the house.

The grandma/kids problem would be there if they are young I can see. Our youngest is 15 so eveybody just has their own phone. I have family in germany and I use a phone card and my cell phone. Get's me in at 5 cents a minute or so.

 

[oogieboogie]

Ah, that make sense. We use a "net-fax" site to get around that problem. Faxes are sent to a phone number and then show-up in e-mail. To fax out, we scan and reverse the process. We don't fax very often though. If you did it a lot you might need another solution.

Even our home security system uses a cell phone now.

the problem with internet faxes is that they won't hold up in court. DH does a lot of work with courts and they'll only take physical fax sheets, not printouts. So internet faxes just won't do for him.

 

[LoraJ]

I have VoIP. I also have a cell phone, but I like having one or the other as backup. I was well aware of the 911 concerns when I got VoIP. My service has E911 which has all of my info come up when I call 911.

 

[Galahad]

the problem with internet faxes is that they won't hold up in court. DH does a lot of work with courts and they'll only take physical fax sheets, not printouts. So internet faxes just won't do for him.

Makes sense.

 

[dcgrumpy]

DH wanted to get rid of our phone completely, but sometimes I can't get a signal on my cell when I'm inside. I don't want to have to go outside in the middle of winter to use the phone. We switched to Verizon VoiceWing or whatever it's called. We got the cheapest package, $14.95 a month.

 

[Virgo10]

For the life of me I don't understand why anybody would get voip. It's just trading one "tethered" phone service for another.

I've had Vonage for about a year now and I love it. With friends and family still in MA, it's nice to know my monthly bill will be $25 no matter how often I call.

I know about the 911 thing and sent in my notification months ago. Funny thing is that I always gave my name and address when I have needed to call 911 and this was with a regular land line.

I really do like Vonage but I wouldn't have it if I didn't also have a cell phone. We have lost the connection several times due to power outages and also internet problems.

 

[cardaway]

DH wanted to get rid of our phone completely, but sometimes I can't get a signal on my cell when I'm inside. I don't want to have to go outside in the middle of winter to use the phone. We switched to Verizon VoiceWing or whatever it's called. We got the cheapest package, $14.95 a month.

There should always be land line based 911 as long as there is a threat of standing somewhere during an emergency and getting a "no signal" message. In fact I'm not in favor of getting rid of public or private land lines anytime soon for that very reason.

Id this Viop deal is the only way for internet phone users to call 911, it sounds good to me.