 
Kfedka
Premium
join:2005-05-06
Spokane, WA | Cell Phone rule Voip Great, but I have no use for it if all I do is call in that states. But those calling overseas can find very good use for it.
FYI, landlines are depleting quickly. | |
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hhhhhhhh
@broadband.u
| downside of VoIP People don't still realize that if the power is suddenly lost, then there is no phone service and still some of these VoIP providers don't provide 911 and portion of those who do, might have problems rerouting your calls. These big cable companies should have known better when they started offering VoIP services about the downside of the service. They should had think about a power based voip services. Something similar of what Covad is about to offer soon: power-line VoIP meaning no equipment needed, just hook directly to phone jack and can work even if power goes out. | |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
 ·Comcast
·Patriot Media
 ·Cingular Wireless
| Re: downside of VoIP said by hhhhhhhh :
People don't still realize that if the power is suddenly lost, then there is no phone service and still some of these VoIP providers don't provide 911 and portion of those who do, might have problems rerouting your calls. These big cable companies should have known better when they started offering VoIP services about the downside of the service. They should had think about a power based voip services. Something similar of what Covad is about to offer soon: power-line VoIP meaning no equipment needed, just hook directly to phone jack and can work even if power goes out.
Not if you have a ups, which most people can buy for like $75. I wouldnt be surprised that backup power is introduced into home gateways soon.
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Feed your Faith, not your doubts | |
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domnatr6
join:2001-03-06
Kyle, TX | Re: downside of VoIP Time Warner's VOIP modem has battery backup built in. | |
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| | | hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH | Re: downside of VoIP not all modems for their Digital Phone (not VoIP). the WOH doesnt have battery backups. | |
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DaSneaky1D
one wall to block them all
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou
·Charter Pipeline
| If doesn't work if the power goes out at the Remote Terminal.
And...Cable VoIP services (at least Charter's) comes with an adapter with built in battery back-up. Charter also offers E911, which works flawlessly.
They know what to do and have been doing it ever sense they've offered the service.
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:: my trivial ramblings :: | |
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| liquidnw
join:2005-06-05
Bronx, NY | That may be true but how many people even have a normal phones the pulls power off the telephone line. SO either way when the power goes out your phone will be dead if you hve a cordless phone. | |
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | Re: downside of VoIP I have one sitting on my desk here in my home office... | |
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| | averagedude
join:2002-01-30
Mesa, AZ
2 edits | That is why I always keep 1 dumb phone (on a pots line), centrally located in the house (kitchen), just in case. That way if there ever is an emergency, I am covered. | |
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NEP1611
join:2002-03-27
Northford, CT
| said by hhhhhhhh :
People don't still realize that if the power is suddenly lost, then there is no phone service
Comcast also has a battery backup, that will keep the line running for a limited time. Notwithstanding that, like most people (I suspect) all the phones in my house are cordless/electrical powered so even if the power went out we would still not have "regular" phone service. This is a big reason why we also have two cordless phones that are kept fully charged.
said by hhhhhhhh :
They should had think about a power based voip services. Something similar of what Covad is about to offer soon: power-line VoIP meaning no equipment needed, just hook directly to phone jack and can work even if power goes out.
If Covad is successful with this, you can bet Comcast, TW, Cox, etc. will follow with their own version. | |
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raye
Premium
join:2000-08-14
Orange, CA
| Time Warner battery backup I have Time Warner VoIP, and power went out at my house for about an hour. Battery backup worked fine.
Service so far has been excellent. A few glitches in the beginning (voice mail, line filtering), as I expected as I was keeping my old phone number. | |
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DaSneaky1D
one wall to block them all
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou
·Charter Pipeline
| Re: Time Warner battery backup said by PhoenixDown  :Thats a power outage at your house... what if its the entire east coast (or in your case west coast)? Landline phone, battery powered laptop and dialup were the only things working at the time. What's your point? If you have phone power at your house, then you can make a phone call...
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pcscdma
Chocobo Chocobo Random Battle
Premium
join:2004-01-14
Winterset, IA
clubs: | Re: Time Warner battery backup You can do a whole lot more than make phone calls -
»www.sandman.com/telco.html
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Primis1
join:2005-06-13
Coldwater, MI
| Over-rated. Why all the hype and fuss over VOIP when nobody I know actually has it, wants it, or cares?
It seems like making a mountain out of a molehill.
I have yet to hear a public cry of any sort from someone anywhere stating "I want/need VOIP!!". | |
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CableGei
Premium
join:2004-05-27
Brookville, OH | Re: Over-rated. It's not about wanting VoIP. It's about wanting another choice for telephone service. | |
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| rnikischer
join:2002-12-28
Willow Springs, IL
 ·Vonage
·magicjack.com
| Over rated or underestimated? Well I can appreciate that maybe your friends or family members haven't seen a need for VOIP and your probably right about any public cry for the technology but I have heard repeatedly a public outcry about the high costs and poor service associated with landlines.
This is a reasonable alternative, it has it's good points and bad points but it is a realistic alternative. | |
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| stripes3
join:2002-10-22
Fairfax, VA
| Why all the hype and fuss over VOIP when nobody I know actually has it, wants it, or cares?
It is a lot cheaper then a normal landline. I pay $25/month (about $28 after taxes) for all the USA/Canada calls I care to make, a landline with unlimited local calling is like $48 after taxes. Not bad since I've moved to CA and my faimly/friends are in VA/MD. More importantly calls to the UK are $0.02/min which is a lot cheaper then $1.80 to $2.50 that was VZ's landline price when I dropped them to switch to VOIP, and it is better then Cingular's $0.25/min for calls to the UK. It is competitave with international calling card rates, and the quality is better (calling card rates were $0.01 to $0.10/min, with lots of little caviots like connection fees, minimum call durations, and weekly maintance charges).
A VOIP line is a little cheaper then a unlimited local landline. A VOIP gets a lot cheaper if you make a lot of long distace calls, and very very much cheaper if you make international calls.
It has a few other nifty features. Like if you travel internationally to places with high-speed internet connections it is like having international roaming for free (rather then $1/min). Voice mail notifications over email is nice. The "instant call log" is nice.
I don't see it as replacing a landline for everyone. Some people are happy to ditch landlines and just use cells and deal with the occasional large bill secure in the knolage that most months they pay less. Some people need a 100% reliable phone. Some people don't have high speed internet connections in their area. Some people don't have some other reason to get the high speed connection. Some people are worried about the E911 issues. All good points.
Me, I'm just a cheapskate  | |
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garagerock
Premium
join:2002-06-14
Louisville, KY
| said by Primis1 :Why all the hype and fuss over VOIP when nobody I know actually has it, wants it, or cares? It seems like making a mountain out of a molehill. I have yet to hear a public cry of any sort from someone anywhere stating "I want/need VOIP!!". insert "automobile", "electricity", "running water", or "indoor plumbing" into this statement, and you could swear it's 1899. | |
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Pierre25
join:2001-01-12
Appleton, WI
| Re: Over-rated. This whole site is almost all about the service delivery method of telcos, ISP's and Cable Companes. None of it matters!!! Copper, Power Line, Coax, Fiber, Wireless....who cares???
It is the application that people buy (dial tone, high-speed Internet, TV access), not the service delivery method.
The previous post is 100% correct...VoIP is over-hyped. Residential users are not screaming for VoIP...they just want a bigger bang for their buck. I don't care how the Internet access gets to my house...just as long as it's fast and reliable. I don't care how I get my TV channels (Dish, Cable, IP), as long as it works and I get ESPN.
People buy products, not technology. | |
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garagerock
Premium
join:2002-06-14
Louisville, KY
| Re: Over-rated. quote:
People buy products, not technology
That's impossible. All of the items you mentioned cannot be seperated from the technology that either delivers or displays what you speak of. So they do buy technology by default. Try putting your hand to your ear and receive a broadcast signal the next time you want to watch TV and see how well that works.
They may not care so much about the tech end of it-as any techie knows-but the two cannot be seperated. | |
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FrontierBlows
@az.frontiern
| Here in rural AZ, Frontier charges me about $40 a month just for the line. Long distance is 12 cents a minute, intrastate LD is 16 cents a minute. My second line is with Vonage, and it's $16 or so a month with the taxes, and includes 500 minutes of LD. Additional minutes are about 4 cents per minute. You can get unlimited for $25 a month I think if you make that many calls.
(If you haven't heard the cry for cheaper phone service, you've probably spent too much time in a big city!) | |
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buycheapgetscheap
@verizon.n
| Re: Sunrocket is down again today Well if you go with the CHEAPEST voip ($199 a year)
that's just what you get.
There's always a catch... but I'd like to see some statistics on some of the major voip providers such as vonage, att, and the rbocs and cable companies... to see what the REAL uptime and serivces are REALLY like.
From what I've gleaned about the reviews of VOIP in general, if you like the reliability of a cell phone. Than VOIP is right up your alley. If you like the 'fcc mandated regulations that guide the Quality of Service' that POTS delivered ove copper mandates, than it may not yet be ready for 'prime time'... now there is some GREY area with POTS of fiber as Verizon currently delivers... they CHARGE you to have the POTS ported over FIBER, but what does this REALLY mean? There is Battery Backup, but still.. your guaranteed quality of service has been eroded over the years anyways.. when backup systems failed in the northeast(catastrophic, yes.. but you see there is no REAL guarantee something won't go wrong with any communications system)
SO, where does that leave the consumer?
Is it worth getting cell-phone like reliability to save the $10-20 in taxes and fees? Several hundred thousand people have said YES, resoundingly. And what have RBOCS fought back with, lite dsl? VDSL- eventually, fiber.. someday?
Oh well, I would guess Louisiana, Missippi, and Alabama might be out of the picture for years to come anyways, hehe
As they don't even have power down there due to katrina... back to the stone age for some...
But we've got our own crosses to bare, $3-4 gas prices.
WELL, at 4-5 bucks, hybrid vehicles are gonna look a whole lot more attractive..... | |
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koam
Pink Pecker
Premium
join:2000-08-16
East Puddle
clubs: | Re: Sunrocket is down again today www.dictionary.com | |
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| | | smcallah
join:2004-08-05
Home | Re: Sunrocket is down again today OMG, he spelled TWO WORDS wrong!!!
Call on the dictionary.com!!!!
Christ. | |
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koam
Pink Pecker
Premium
join:2000-08-16
East Puddle
clubs: | Saturday, down again! | |
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Cable VoIP Dominating
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