Reports by Consumers

Here is another consumer advantage of VoIP. I liked this report:

Yea, I know, VoIP is a hot “buzz” topic now, but there’s some value I’m seeing in it for my future. I can sign on with a company like Vonage, and have them transfer my current phone number. I can also select any phone number in any area code in the USA I want, if I wanted a new number. Then, I can take that and move wherever. So, for example, I could move to a city in central Europe, and have people phone me as if I were still in the USA, and I can phone them as well. As long as I have a strong, broadband internet connection...

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I actually have emergency numbers taped to the handset of my VoIP line, with a big sticker that says "NO 911 ON THIS PHONE". Also on the handset is MY ADDRESS. Horror stories like this are going to become more common, I'm afraid. A robbery, a shooting, call 911. Oops.

Brooke Schulz, spokesman for VoIP provider Vonage Holdings Corp., said the company has been working to provide enhanced 911 to its 500,000 customers for the past two years. So far, the company has only been successful in providing enhanced 911 service in Rhode Island because of hurdles it has run into with getting access to 911 through traditional phone companies.

Vonage provides traditional 911 service to customers who must provide an address of where the VoIP phone will be kept and must activate the service.

Read the whole article. It's pretty dramatic.

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Read more from this blogger: Parents Shot, 911 N/A on VoIP

It's hard for consumers to keep up with the rapidly changing phone market. Check out this report:

Three players are vying to grab the lion's share of this rapidly emerging market. The first, obviously, are the traditional phone companies like AT&T and Sprint. AT&T has even stopped offering traditional phone service to concentrate on its Internet telephony offerings. The cable companies like Time Warner, Cablevision and Cox have also joined the fray. The same cable that brings HBO into homes can also deliver phone service. Finally, a host of start-ups are also staking a claim to this market, including Vonage and Skype. Skype has...

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As this consumer reports, when you use VoIP, you need a microphone for your computer!

Ok, I just downloaded Skype, a free VoIP service. I don't have a microphone on my computer, but when I get one, I will happily use it.

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Read more from this blogger: Skype

The FCC has ruled that phone companies do not have to sell "naked" DSL, or DSL without POTS (plain old telephone system) included. This consumer reports on the economics of paying twice for phone service. Of course, consumers can get their IP connection from cable or satellite providers and cut out the phone companies all together.

Now consider the irony of the situation. In New York City, Verizon is offering me the ability to buy internet telephony for $30/month through by DSL broadband connection, for which I'm paying $30/month. Now, if as a rational consumer, I now wish to disconnect my analog "old phone" line from Verizon, to save anywhere from $20-30 a month, Verizon is fully empowered under the new FCC rules to disconnect by DSL broadband and internet phone! Talk about a Catch-22 to make Joseph Heller proud!!

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This consumer reports on problems with Vonage and Skype VoIP problems and blames it on growing pains.

Vonage is having problems with other phone companies. A few people have told me they have to wait too long for getting customer support, or have them address billing questions. Which is quite understandable since the company is growing faster than mushrooms after a monsoon shower.

Yesterday, Skype’s problems became buzz of the moment after C/Net posted a story. Which actually I think might have been inspired by this post by Neville Hobson, who posted problems with SkpeOut almost ten days ago. Many others have been bitching about this for a while over on Skype Forums. The problems are about billing and support services.

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Read more from this blogger: Om Malik on Broadband � Skype, VoIP Honeymoon over?