VoIP to get expensive due to 911 ruling
VoIP May 21st, 2005
VoIP to get expensive due to 911 ruling
The Federal Communications Commission just recently made it compulsory for the VoIP operators to offer the 911 emergency services. This requires them to collaborate with the traditional phone companies, which would mean that they would have to pay for these services. These expenses would be further carried over to the end customer leading to the higher prices of VoIP services.
This might also result in closure of the smaller services, which are already feeling the heat of bigger companies like Vonage and the likes. The increased pricing would mean that it would become hard for them to survive in this highly price sensitive market. Many companies entered this business considering the laws are currently lax and the initial investment is not very high. However, this would change now.
Bigger companies are at an advantage as they can go into a nationwide collaboration with certain operators leading to low cost of providing the emergency services. This advantage would not be there for these small players in the VoIP market. Supporters of VoIP technology would be furious at this move as it would mean that the remaining few companies would rule the market ending one of the advantages of the VoIP technology.
Vonage happens to be the largest player in the market with around 650,000 customers and they are going to absorb the charges without passing it to the customer.
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About
This FCC, APPOINTED group, not elected, needs to learn to keep its noses out of everyone’s business. I know the risks of 911 with VOIP. It is my choice, not the Government’s. I left the Bell Company because of 30% junk fees (call it taxes). I asm not the Government’s Piggie Bank! I will leave my US VOIP provider and find an outside of USA provider.
Unfortunately, Canadian VOIP providers already have this mandate due to an earlier CRTC (equivalent of FCC) ruling. So US is out of the question, Canada is out… I expect most contries will probably go this route.
Yea.. well i do like the idea of 911 services, but it shouldnt be forced down the throats of companys like that. 911 was orgionaly started to make things easier for ppl when it came to emergancies.. 3 numbers are easier to remember than 10.. but even a monkey can remember 10 digits. Are we stupider than a monkey as that we cannot remember a 10 digit # in the face of an emergancy? well if you are then you shouldnt be breeding.