Disadvantages of VOIP
The disadvantages of VOIP on this page concerns mainly VOIP systems where the telephone system is directly connected to your Internet line. With this set up, there are no local call charges to pay, but there are other problems:
- Speed of your Internet connection
VOIP relies on a stable, high speed internet connection. The VOIP provider has ZERO control over this: if you have a slow Internet connection, VOIP will be slow, voice may be garbled, your voice will take a long time to reach the person you call and the other person's voice will take a long time to reach you, or the line might even get disconnected.
- Concurrent Telephone Users
Even if you have a fairly fast Internet cpnnection, if there are many concurrent telephone users, your connection may not be capable of handling them at the same time.
- Reliability of Internet connection
Your ability to make calls rely on the availability of an Internet connection. If your Internet connection is down, then you cannot make telephone calls. This is never a problem with PSTN lines - the lines are always available!
- Power outage
With PSTN lines, you can still make telephone calls even when electrical power is not available in your office. But with VOIP, if the power is out, then your telephone lines will be out.
- Emergency 999 calls
Another major concern VOIP involves emergency 999 calls. PSTN phone equipment can trace your location. Emergency calls are diverted to the nearest call center where the operator can identify your location in case you cannot talk. However, because a VOIP call is essentially a transfer of data between two IP addresses, not physical addresses, with VOIP it is difficult to determine where your VOIP phone call is originating from and help cannot be easily come.
Consider the above disadvantages of VOIP before you decide to use a VOIP system. If you are already using one, then you must be familiar with the above problems, so come back to PSTN now!
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