VoIP Disadvantages
VoIP disadvantages are few. The
two major VoIP disadvantages are e911 service and VoIP
cell phone replacements. Emergency 911 service is currently
the most problematic of the VoIP disadvantages in that
not all providers offer e911 service as a standard.
In addition, with some VoIP service providers, after
hours emergency 911 calls may not be routed to the correct
locale of the user making the call.
Many consumers see this as the
major disadvantage VoIP has in relation to current residential
landlines. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
has stepped in, however, ruling that all voice providers
(landlines, cell and VoIP) must provide standard e911
service by September 2005. Some in the industry believe
that this timeframe is much too short in order to achieve
industry compliance since many VoIP vendors are relying
on the local phone companies to open up their e911 services
to them in a timely manner.
|
|
|
This
FCC mandate, however, will be a boon to the VoIP
marketplace since once standard and consistent
VoIP e911 service can be established, then many
more consumers will jump on the VoIP bandwagon
and no longer see VoIP as having a disadvantage
in relation to their residential local and long
distance phone companies.
|
|
|
In fact, because of the relatively
low cost of VoIP in relation to the traditional phone
company offerings, many consumers will do away completely
with their landlines and make the conversion to VoIP,
which not only will offer the same services as the Baby
Bells, but in many cases additional features not offered
by the Baby Bells.
The second of the VoIP disadvantages
is that having VoIP phones and VoIP phone service will
at no time in the near future replace cell phone service.
This is because currently wireless VoIP, or wVoIP, is
tied to WiFi hotspots of which there are relatively
few and will a small reach than with cell phones that
use a network of microwave towers with much longer reach
in order to provide comprehensive and consistent geographical
coverage.
It must be noted, however, that
many cell phone companies have jumped on the VoIP bandwagon
by offering a hybrid cell phone that will use VoIP and
Wifi when they are near a hotspot area in order to offer
cheaper rates and when out of range use the traditional
cell microwave coverage to insure that calls are not
dropped.
|
|
|
One other notable disadvantage
for VoIP does exist and this is a power outage which
brings the Internet connection down. Many companies,
though have already implemented backup power sources
with their offerings so this disadvantage has all but
faded away.
As stated earlier, the VoIP disadvantages
are few. After all the phone companies conform to the
FCC mandate to offer comprehensive and standard emergency
911 service to everyone, then the VoIP disadvantages
will be even fewer. By the end of 2005 VoIP will be
coming of age and coming on strong and a new revolution
in the telecom industry will have its feet planted firmly
inside consumers' homes.
|
