VoIP News

It seems that VoIP just crept up overnight and became an instant success. Yet VoIP has been around for a lot longer than many people realize and yet the industry has been allowed to build up without necessary regulations in place
The reason that VoIP has gone without vast amounts of regulation is that VoIP is a completely different technology then the telephone system that we have come to know for the past 100 years. Standard telephone is known as PSTN or the Public Switched Telephone Network. It requires the use of Circuit Switching networks connected through wires.
Many Federal regulations have been initiated and set in place regarding the use of the PSTN telephone system. However, due to the fact that VoIP is technology based on Packet Switching and is transferred over the Internet, Federal regulations had not been initiated concerning this technology and in fact, the government is in a sense playing catch up to regulate VoIP services and providers.
The need for regulation became apparent when several VoIP users had issues when trying to use the 911 services. Because VoIP does not use landline wires, VoIP is not incorporated with the Public Safety Emergency 911 system. When users call 911 from a landline phone the dispatcher will see a display of the callers location and address. However, when a caller with a VoIP service calls 911 no information is displayed. This is a serious concern. Especially since in critical situations, a 911 call may be made, and then the caller, for whatever reason cannot give any further details, the 911 operators will then typically trace the call and send help.
However, with a VoIP service provider, they will not be able to trace the call and send any help to the person who placed the call.
This issue was addressed previously in regards to cellular phones. The FCC had instigated the Enhanced 911 program and by working with cellular networks has been able to initiate technology that will locate on a cellular antennae’s signal when a 911 call is placed.

Currently many VoIP service providers do not offer 911 service, others do offer Enhanced 911 but the system is no where near perfect. It is recommended that VoIP users contact their service providers and find out what steps they need to take to activate and register their information with 911. However, even if a subscriber has their information registered with 911, and places a phone call to 911 away from their residence, the dispatcher will have no way to trace the phone call.
It is suggested that VoIP subscribers continue to maintain a landline connection for the sole purpose of using 911. Another suggestion is to carry a mobile phone again for further tracking if an emergency call is needed. If you do need to call 911 from a VoIP phone, you should begin by giving your local information, regarding your location immediately.
The FCC had issued a regulation that all VoIP service providers who did not have their subscribers sign a statement that they were aware of the 911 limitations inherent with VoIP would be cancelled from their VoIP service.
However the FCC has issued a continuance to allow more users to sign the statement. Where this issue will ultimately end up is a matter of ‘wait and see’. I don’t think the government ever expected VoIP to gain in strength and popularity. Currently VoIP services are being offered by not only providers who specialize in VoIP but also mainstream telephone companies are now offering VoIP services and products. Verizon has just released Voice wing- their VoIP service. Even Cingular wireless has started a mobile wireless or VoWiFi service.
It may be a few years before we see all of the issues with VoIP worked out, but undoubtedly most of the resolutions will come about through the FCC, court rulings, and from the government taking a long hard look at the very infrastructure of VoIP and finding its legal place in the midst of a telecommunications system that has remained intact for nearly 100 years.

Voip ??

Direct inward dialing (DID) numbers are regular phone numbers that can be called from a conventional phone. They accept calls and then forward them through to your VoIP phone.
There are more advantages to using a DID than just being able to receive local calls, it also can be an effective way of cutting the cost of calls if you happen to be based in a country with high priced calling fee’s. Or businesses that which to have a local presence in countries they do business in, but don’t hold offices in.
There is a huge ray of possible uses for international DID’s and you can in theory have several number in different countries pointing at one VOIP number. Let your mind explore the possibilities.

Free Calls From Internet - How to make Free calls?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology enables anyone to make and receive free phone calls over the internet. This revolutionary technology has the ability to totally change the phone system of the entire world!
VoIP is set to revolutionize the communication industry because it means anyone can totally bypass traditional telephone companies.
VoIP is an exciting technology that is about to ROCK a $750 billion dollar a year industry! The impact will be more profound than that of either cell-phones or the Internet… It encompasses both!
VoIP service provider such as Jajah, Globe7, Skype, GooberCall and many others are enabling users worldwide to make free phone calls from landlines, cell phones and from PC. At the outset using VoIP involved using special software, a microphone, speakers (or headset), a sound card, a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection, nowadays free phone calls can be made from traditional landlines, cell phones and from PC and internet based services.
Almost everyday new IP phones are being released onto the market, these looks like standard telephones but are designed for connecting directly to internet connections. Many Voip service providers offer standard features such as:

• Call waiting
• Three way calling
• Call forwarding
• Caller I.D.
• Repeat dial
• Last call return

Then there are some advanced features that make VoIP something worth looking into. With some service providers you can set up call-filtering options, and actually have some control over how calls from certain numbers are handled.