insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
1 edit | Why does this matter.
If you don't know what VoIP is, then it's clearly not right for you. VoIP is not meant for the average person and it would be a challenge to make it easy enough to set up, use, and troubleshoot for the average consumer. Then trying to label it in a way to confuse it with regular phone is only going to bring more 911 lawsuits and telco outcries about how the government needs to tax it and regulate it into nothingness. |
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dibbb
join:2003-09-19
 ·Time Warner VOIP
| Just because you don't know what VoIP is, doesn't mean it's not right for you.
Time Warner Cable sent out flyers to all it's customers advertising "Digital Phone". I knew what it was already and signed up for it.
My parents though, don't know what "VoIP" is, but saw that TWC's digital phone was a lot cheaper than their POTS line with the free long distance TW offers, so they got it too. |
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gh4456
Premium,VIP
join:2004-04-07
Beverly Hills, CA | reply to insomniac84
I would say the same # of people wouldn't know what POTS is either. So does that mean, that being on the PSTN is not for them either? |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| It's senseless to argue with those that base their opinion of technology on one provider's implementation of said technology. In other words, because VOIP is not 99.999% reliable from Vonage or Packet8 does not mean VOIP is not a reliable technology and ready for anyone, regardless of their technical prowess.
VOIP technology is an EXTREMELY reliable technology and has been in use by businesses for years on their private backbones. I would guess that if implemented by the last-mile provider, VOIP would be as reliable as that last-mile network. If an ILEC implemented VOIP on the same pair of copper as POTS, VOIP would be just as reliable as POTS depending on the power source of the VOIP ATA on the customer's premises. If powered from the CO, no problem. If powered by the customer's local electrical utility, then it's subject to the power company's reliability. But this has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RELIABILITY OF VOIP.
It's all in the implementation. |
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phugit
Premium
join:2002-07-26
Olney, MD | reply to dibbb
Good point on price, that's what a lot of people who don't know VoIP, POTS, etc will see ... $35/$40/$50 for unlimited calling in the US via POTS vs $14.99/$19.99 for "digital" phone |
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MADcyborge
join:2002-05-31
Salt Lake City, UT
| reply to insomniac84
I have vonage for my 65 YR. Old father,even he can use it. K first off, My dad was a scientist at atomics international,worked for the space program and knows incredible amounts of math. He know ZILCH about computers,TCP/IP networks, he can not use a computer period. I have Vonage setup on a fax line that he connected the router,followed instructions straigh from the vonage setup guide and got his VoIP line going. (I did wire cat 6 to his office in his house though.) Voip saves people oodles of money when the call travels larg spans of area. I call russia,UK and spend 5-10 cents compared to 40-80 cents Qwest used to charge us. Nationwide Long distance is awesome when you pay zip additionally. Neighbors,friends, people I dont know all come to my dads house on the weekends to get free calls. Embrace the VoIP wave like we did the net in the 90s and it too can have an awesome sweeping change. |
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rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO
| The Internet-based VOIP providers (Vonage, Packet8, AT&T) save money unless you only pay for life-line/metered service. In STL SBC country, I can get close to my Vonage $24.99/month price if I subscribe to a local area calling plan where almost everything that isn't within a few miles is long distance. Of course this doesn't include any extras (voice mail, call waiting, long distance, etc.) If I subscribe to an SBC metro plan, it's nearly $50/month. Again, no extras are included in this cost. With Vonage I get it all for half that price.
Of course the cost (not features) between a metro plan and Vonage is the same if you include the cost of broadband. However, I want broadband anyway and the fact that I can use it to half my phone costs is simply icing on the cake I'm already eating. |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to insomniac84
its the name that is the problem, VOIP is just stupid from a marketing standpoint it has no roll to it. Digital Phone sounds good to a consumer and has more selling power.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
| Yes, but by labeling it in a way to confuse it with a real phone service, people are going to expect 911 to work. They are going to expect that it's not going to go out all the time due to technical problems. Its just stupid to market it as the same thing as pots. And last time I checked digital phone was what cable companies offered when they provided local phone service. |
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