Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
New technology provides new obstacles

Over the past few years there has been a lot of rumbling over a new type of telephone service known as Voice Over IP, or commonly called VOIP. VOIP is a new form of telephnoy that works over an Internet connection, and being a new technology there are a lot of pro's and con's that come with it. There many reasons why a person or business may consider switching to a VOIP service, as well as many reasons to stay with your current Plain Ol' Telephone Service (POTS).

Pro's

VOIP has many features, but the most common reason for switching to VOIP are the cost savings. Some VOIP providers actually offer free service such as Skype (skype.com) Though the free service is limited to only calling other Skype users it does come in handy for people in need of speaking with relatives or friends in distant countries. For a Small fee Skype's next level of service gives a person the ability to call actual phone numbers with the cost being only $29.95 per year. For an additional $38 per year a subscriber can receive a Skype phone number. Compared to a monthly telephone bill the savings there is huge, however, keep in mind that you'll need an Internet connection. Make sure to factor that into your overall budget.

In addition to cost savings there are other features to enjoy with VOIP. Companies such as Vonage (vonage.com) or Packet8 (packet8.net) offer instant access to call logs, voice mails and account settings all through their website. Accessing your account on the website also gives you control over the special features that a local telephone company would normally charge you for, instead these features are included with service. Some features include Call Forwarding, Call Transferring, Voice-mail, Call Waiting, Conference Calling, and Call Hunting. A few VOIP providers also offer a feature called "Click to Call". Click to Call is a slick add-on for your computer's web browser and comes in handy for people who spend a lot of time at a desk in front of a computer. Imagine this; you want to order a pizza for lunch, you look up your favorite pizza shop's info online and now, because of this add-on, there is a "phone number button" included with their info. With a click of a button a call with the Pizza shop is started for you.With all these features and competitive pricing switching to VOIP seems like a no brainer, but hold onto them horses. Before making the leap into the world of VOIP there are some things to consider.

Con's

The largest and most common problem with VOIP is related to the big telecommunication industry's rule of thumb. The 5 9's or simply 99.999% rule. This refers to your up-time or the percentage of time your service works. Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) has everyone beat when it comes to the 5 9's. Try to remember the last time your POTS line did not work?

In addition to up-time another issue faced with VOIP is call quality. An easy way to relate VOIP quality is to compare it with cell phone service. Though Cellular call quality is getting better as the years go by there are occasional calls that echo, have static, and or even drop. VOIP users should expect to experience all of these same problems and possibly with more frequency. Certain VOIP providers even state on their websites that VOIP is NOT a replacement for Telephony, which leads me to the final reason for not making the switch.

911!

VOIP service is reliant on your Internet connection and/or your computer. If your power goes out, then phone service is not available to you. With a POTS line, when the power goes out service still works. Emergency calls can still be made. As well as being reliable POTS lines are also associated with specific street addresses this due to the required compliance of the Communications Assistance Law Enforcement ACT (CALEA). CALEA was passed in order for both Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Units to pinpoint where emergency calls are made. VOIP services don't entirely follow these guidelines and since a VOIP service can be moved anywhere an Internet connection is available the ability for Emergency services to locate where a person in distress is calling from may be difficult. The big point here is in an emergency situation a POTS line WILL get the help you need, whereas a VOIP call MIGHT. With that being said, VOIP providers are making efforts with to be in line with CALEA by providing reliable service with guidelines for address verification though an equivalent to that of a POTS line has yet to exist.

So there you have it. A slight intro to the world of VOIP. If you have any questions about VOIP, or the tech industry in general, feel free to email me at whatthetech@bridgeband.com