Re: Vonage Hits ISP Resistance

[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.

Why can't the parasitic phone companies like Vonage
tell their customers stuff like this. If they can't
provide real E-911 service then they should make it
clear to subscribers that they need to keep a real 
phone line in place.

It would help if telephone set manufacturers would
start supplying hot-line emergency phones with a 
ringer-off switch and the warning notice embedded
in the plastic. They could be sold in a set with 
a new-fangled SIP phone.

--Michael Dillon