10 Common Problems with Internet Phones (VOIP)

There can be many advantages to using internet phones. Lower prices is usually the number one reason that people subscribe to an internet phone service. This newer form of communication is not without its problems, however. Here are ten of the most common problems sited by internet phone users.

1. Voice Quality – Static and other voice quality issues have been sited by users of internet phones. This is not necessarily a constant problem, but even intermittent issues can be frustrating. The point of a phone call, after-all, is to hear and be heard.
2. Power Dependent – Unlike analog phones, you must have electrical power to an internet phone in order to use it. If the power goes out, you can’t use an internet phone to notify the power company of the outage.
3. Emergency Services – Not all internet phone services are connected to the 911 emergency call system. This is something that a person would certainly want to be aware of before canceling their landline service.
4. Delays – Delays in the transfer of the voice from one end to the other have been reported at times. Not having a ‘real-time’ conversation just doesn’t match up with what has become the norm for telephone communication.
5. Echoes – Hearing an echo is another issue that has been reported, but, to be fair, this is occasionally an issue on landlines and cell phones too.
6. Dropped Calls – Losing your connection while you’re speaking has been an issue with cell phones but not generally with landline phones. With the internet phones, the dropped call can have a greater frequency than you would have on your landline.
7. Poor Support – This is actually a much bigger problem than you might think. If you are having problems with your internet phone, their aren’t a lot of people you can contact for help. If their support is slow or inefficient, the frustration level with your internet phone service will only increase.
8. Blocked Numbers – Internet phone users have discovered that they do not have access to all the same phone numbers that they do with their landline or cell phone. There are some phone numbers that cannot be reached when called over the internet.
9. Call Origination – When someone receives a phone call from a person on an internet phone, they may get a false location regarding the origin of the call. This is due to the calls having to be routed through two U.S. cities. These cities may show up as the origin locations of the call, which can be confusing to the person on the receiving end.
10. Upload/Download Speeds – Some of the problems listed above are blamed on lack of bandwidth and/or slow internet speeds. Internet phones are generally not recommended for satellite internet or DSL internet, but even with cable internet, some of these problems can still exist.

There really isn’t a perfect communication form. Every type of communication will have its own problems. Internet phones have worked great for some people, but there are obviously still some issues to be worked out.

Taken From Phone Service