Voip And Local Phone Service
By Michael Weaver, Sat Dec 10th

With technology entering the mainstream, it brings thepossibilities or huge profits for the companies that provide theservice. The current promise of cost savings is driving more andmore residential and business users to investigate thistechnology. But the local telephone companies are not going togive up customers without a fight.

There is a current mandate by the US federal government that allVoIP providers offer E911 service. The initial blocking of thisinformation was with the public switched telephone networkmaintained by the major telephone companies

The next stumbling block is 'naked DSL' or DSL access withoutlocal phone service. This service is rare, but without it aresidence would not be able to use as their primary phoneservice mechanism. You see, DSL is running over your existingphone line provided by your local telephone company. Drop yourlocal phone service and you'll probably drop your broadband DSLaccess as well. (Cable broadband access is a viable solutionhere and the increased cost in cable access should be offset bythe reduction on your monthly phone bill)

These are just two fronts in the battle over VoIP. Shouldcompanies be compensated for the infrastructures they build?Should E911 service be 'free' and offered as a public service?What about the existing phone service run into our homes? Whopays for those lines to be laid and hooked into the publicswitched telephone network?

There really are no easy answers to the questions above. Thephone companies are not about to give up customers without afight. They have years and billions of dollars spent in buildingone of the most reliable communications networks 'currently'known to us.

Is the next step in the evolving communications industry?How will this play out with phone companies offering internetand TV services and cable providers offering phone and internetservice? The line is being blurred and yet the technology pushesforward.

I don't have the answers, only questions. I know how I'd like tosee it all play out, but alas, there is no Nirvana and no, itwould seem we all cannot get along. Not when there's literallybillions of dollars at stake. There will be winners and losersas this war rages on, but it is my hope that we, the end users,will, in the end, be better for it. After all, we've been downthis path many times before and it's turned out ok.

Remember the advent of the PC and where we've gone since then?Remember the first bulky cellular phones vs. what's availabletoday? Yes, TV's, radios, computers, phones the list goes on.Technology advances will continue to push us into newdirections. I'm sure that in the end, will be ascommonplace as the home computer.

We can leverage this technology today in a cost effectivemanner. Like any technology how you implement will make thedifference. Whether you're a residential or business user, therecan be an immediate benefit. Check with your communicationsbroker to find out if your existing phone needs can be met costeffectively with VoIP.

About the author:The fullservice broadband provider is a service offered by Try RightTechnology, Inc. This service provides unbiased informativeinformation on broadband technology as well as local/longdistance and cellular service. Copyright 2005