The Dissadvantages of VoIP

As more and more people consider making the switch from their traditional telephone service to VoIP, it is important to weigh the pros and cons concerning this choice. While there is a wealth of advantages associated with the technology regarding VoIP, a few disadvantages exist, which play a significant role in making a well-informed conclusion about the service.

Reliability

When comparing traditional means of communication to VoIP, the telephone provides a certain level of reliability that the public has come to know. With VoIP services, calls are delivered across the Internet and the network associated with this mode of contact far exceeds that of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This opens a gap in reliability, as computers, email, and Internet connections are known to fail without warning. When consumers rely on these forms of technology as their means of communicating with the outside world, they are at a disadvantage when they become inaccessible.

For instance, computers with a broadband Internet connection need electricity to function, but if a power outage should strike, then this lifeline is cut off until service is reestablished. VoIP users will not have access to their services at this time. Hopefully, in the future, a stable power source for VoIP will be created, but until then – no power equals no phone.

Emergency 911 Calls

Since VoIP utilizes IP-addresses, phone numbers, geographic locations are not attached to IP addresses. This becomes a great problem in regards to placing a 911 call for emergency. When callers are unable to communicate with a 911 operator to tell them where they are located, there is no way for a call center to accurately place an emergency request to Emergency Medical Services. In the future, geographical information may become linked to VoIP packets.

Service Interruption

Since the Internet is responsible for transferring voice data from one computer to another, the network is vulnerable to service interruption. Some of the outcomes known to affect the quality of a call include jitter, latency, and packet loss. Consumers may experience phone conversations filled with distortion, garbled words, or complete failure of contact due to transmission errors. Many consumers are reluctant to abandon their traditional phones until Internet data transfer becomes more stable in regards to phone service.

Security Issues

Although becoming infecting with a worm or virus is quite uncommon, it is nonetheless a problem associated with VoIP use. Consumers may also experience hacking through their VoIP technology, which is another rare occurrence. Today, developers are working on ways to provide encryption with VoIP.

Weakened Computer Resources

When a consumer uses VoIP as their phone system, they run the risk of suffering from communication that becomes dependent on the computer (in terms of its specific specifications and power limitations). Sometimes, a call can become affected by what is called "processor drain."

For instance, a user speaking with a friend on their softphone may experience a lapse in performance when they attempt to open a certain application. At first, the phone conversation may suffer a decrease in quality, but in the worst cases, the system simply crashes and the phone call is lost. If the conversation was rather important (such as conducting a phone interview for a job), then the overall inconvenience could be detrimental. Computer crashes are common even without using a service like VoIP, and depending on the PC, may increase over time.

Despite the disadvantages VoIP may present, there are many different benefits associated with this type of technology. In the end, it is an individual decision as to whether or not the pros outweigh the cons in selecting VoIP as a permanent telephone service.

~##~

If you have an article you wish to add to this site,
please contact us via email [ ] and we will consider it.
VoIPsMe.com: Voice Over IP Explained

Copyright © 2007 VoIPsMe.com - Warning: All Rights Reserved
No portion of this site may be reproduced without written permission
ALL Trademarks are freely acknowledged. ALL information is provided "As Is".