[79238] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Vonage Hits ISP Resistance
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stephen Sprunk)
Fri Apr 1 12:07:45 2005
From: "Stephen Sprunk" <stephen@sprunk.org>
To: <Michael.Dillon@radianz.com>
Cc: "North American Noise and Off-topic Gripes" <nanog@merit.edu>
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 11:03:23 -0600
Errors-To: owner-nanog@merit.edu
Thus spake <Michael.Dillon@radianz.com>
> > VoIP is great. VoPI (Voice over Public Internet) is great when
> > it works, but I wouldn't bet my life or my business on it.
>
> Who says that you have to disconnect your home phone
> just because you use VoIP? In fact, one of the advantages
> of DSL over cable, is that the phone line is still there.
> Buy a bright red "hot-line" phone, put a sticker on it
> that says "For Emergencies Only!" and another one with
> "911". Place it in the front hall so that any visitors
> to your home see it when they enter. Disconnect the
> ringer on the hot-line phone so that you aren't
> disturbed by wrong numbers and telemarketers.
>
> Then use VoIP for all your regular calls.
So you're saying everyone should continue paying $30/mo for a POTS line just
for 911 calls? A typical Vonage customer buys the service to replace, not
supplement, their POTS line.
Frankly, I'm fine with 911 not working on VoIP lines; I have a cell phone
for that when needed. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I've ever
actually dialed 911 from a land line.
I understand the woes of mixing 911 and VoIP myself, although I'm not a
Vonage user. The VoIP phone on my desk connects 911 calls to the Vancouver,
BC, PSAP (since it's off a PBX at work), but I also know the direct-dial
number for the local Dallas, TX, PSAP -- the emergency line, not the
"administrative" line that Vonage uses -- and if I bothered, I could easily
set the PBX to reroute 911 there instead. Location information is tougher,
but I have to tell the operator my location on a cell phone too, so it's not
a deal-killer.
S
Stephen Sprunk "Those people who think they know everything
CCIE #3723 are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
K5SSS --Isaac Asimov
