Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN is currently aside away as the regular phone that now is being replaced by the new technology of VoIP, voice over internet protocol, where making a phone call over the internet broadband access. The revolutionary of this technology is very good, but there is also some disadvantages or barriers that come along this existence. Major flaws in VoIP are on its reliability. Therefore, we can say that the disadvantages of VoIP are on its reliability, its accessibility.

VoIP is a voice over internet protocol. By using internet connection means the use of this technology is dependant to the wall power. Normally, when the power goes down or low, we still can make a phone call over the regular phone. But this is not happen in VoIP. If there is no power, here means internet connection, we can make a phone call over VoIP. Therefore, using VoIP technology, beside internet connection, we should also have to have a stable power. In regular phone, we can integrate our home secure such as digital video recorders; digital subscription TV series also home security systems over the regular phone by connect it with the phone line. If we are using VoIP, this could not be happen. VoIP can not integrate with these products. However there are some related companies who are going to work on it, but it is still taking sometimes.

Emergency call of 911 also is the challenge of VoIP. With regular phone, we can call anytime 911 operators, but it could not happen with VoIP. In VoIP, we are using the internet protocol access that is not associated with the geographical location. Therefore we can not make a phone call to the 911 operator if we are having an emergency condition, because VoIP using internet connection and computer, it will be very susceptible to worms and other viruses.

By: Dita Nadia