With VoIP technology entering the mainstream, it brings the possibilities or huge profits for the companies that provide the service. The current promise of cost savings is driving more and more residential and business users to investigate this technology. But the local telephone companies are not going to give up customers without a fight.
There is a current mandate by the US federal government that all VoIP providers offer E911 service. The initial blocking of this information was with the public switched telephone network maintained by the major telephone companies.
The next stumbling block is ‘naked DSL’ or DSL access without local phone service. This service is rare, but without it a residence would not be able to use VoIP as their primary phone service mechanism. You see, DSL is running over your existing phone line provided by your local telephone company. Drop your local phone service and you’ll probably drop your broadband DSL access as well. (Cable broadband access is a viable solution here and the increased cost in cable access should be offset by the reduction on your monthly phone bill)
These are just two fronts in the battle over VoIP. Should companies be compensated for the infrastructures they build? Should E911 service be ‘free’ and offered as a public service? What about the existing phone service run into our homes? Who pays for those lines to be laid and hooked into the public switched telephone network?
There really are no easy answers to the questions above. The phone companies are not about to give up customers without a fight. They have years and billions of dollars spent in building one of the most reliable communications networks ‘currently’ known to us.
Is VoIP the next step in the evolving communications industry? How will this play out with phone companies offering internet and TV services and cable providers offering phone and internet service? The line is being blurred and yet the technology pushes forward.
I don’t have the answers, only questions. I know how I’d like to see it all play out, but alas, there is no Nirvana and no, it would seem we all cannot get along. Not when there’s literally billions of dollars at stake. There will be winners and losers as this war rages on, but it is my hope that we, the end users, will, in the end, be better for it. After all, we’ve been down this path many times before and it’s turned out ok.
Remember the advent of the PC and where we’ve gone since then? Remember the first bulky cellular phones vs. what’s available today? Yes, TV’s, radios, computers, phones the list goes on. Technology advances will continue to push us into new directions. I’m sure that in the end, VoIP will be as commonplace as the home computer.
We can leverage this technology today in a cost effective manner. Like any technology how you implement VoIP will make the difference. Whether you’re a residential or business user, there can be an immediate benefit. Check with your communications broker to find out if your existing phone needs can be met cost effectively with VoIP.
By: Michael Weaver
Posts Tagged ‘Local Telephone Company’
VoIP and Local Telephone Companies
February 17th, 2010VoIP the New Technology For Communication
November 19th, 2009
VoIP or commonly term of phone service over the Internet is the acronym from voice over Internet protocol. Instead of using local telephone company, you can get the service directly over your Internet connection with reasonable quality of calls. The service providers are commonly offering the low rate than conventional phone company, even for long distance and international call. However, some provider does not support the common phone service, such as 911 services
The IP phone is connected through the Ethernet and router. Ethernet and router will lead this IP to the service provider. Router is the phone lines for your connection. The bad thing is when your phone call is down, router will automatically redirecting your call to other path than your call destination.
Phone service via VoIP is offering low rates of phone, some providers also offering the unlimited call plan for these services. The cost using this technology is less than other conventional phone call rates. Using this new technology there is no domestic roaming or charges when we are making call to other area. There will be a cost savings regarding to a single network that is being used in carrying voice and data over the Internet connection, more extreme, the providers sometimes offers free of charges even for the international call.
VoIP technology brings the impossible of conventional phones to possible. You can take your phone even you are on travel or trip. Anywhere you are connecting to the Internet, you can receive incoming calls. Besides PC, you can also use laptop in making a phone call. As long as you have a high speed Internet connection, headset, microphones, and the other equipment, you can make a phone call anywhere you like.
By: Dita Nadia
