Disadvantages of VOIP
Although VoIP has many benefits, there are still a few kinks in the system. Some disadvantages of VoIP are detailed in the paragraphs below. In time, these issues will be resolved, but currently need to be considered when making any VoIP related decisions.
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Your VoIP service is only as reliable as your broadband Internet connection. Nowadays, most Internet Service providers (ISPs) are fairly reliable, but will occasionally experience downtime. If you experience a lot of downtime with your ISP, then your VoIP service will also experience downtime. One solution would be to change to a more reliable Internet Service Provider. Another thing that affects the reliability of your VoIP service is power outages. If you experience a power cut, then your VoIP phone will not be able to be turned on and your internet access may also be unavailable until the power returns. A good solution to this could be to set up an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), in case of power cuts occurring. |
Another major concern with VoIP involves emergency 911 calls. Traditional phone equipment can trace your location when a 911 call is placed. Emergency calls are diverted to the nearest call center where the operator can see your location in case you can't talk. However, with VoIP, 911 calls cannot be traced to a specific geographic location; therefore, it is much more of a challenge to pinpoint the origin of the call. To solve this problem, VoIP providers are working with 911 dispatchers and the local phone companies to solve this problem. VoIP providers, such as Vonage, claim that they now do offer a fully working enhanced 911 (E911) service. It is advisable that you check the 911 services offered by any VoIP service provider you are considering signing up with. Although this is currently one of the major disadvantages with VoIP, it is close to being resolved within the near future.
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VoIP also has problems with sound quality and reliability. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination in a scrambled order. This is not a problem for e-mail or documents because the data can be reassembled in the correct order once it has all arrived. Voice data can also arrive in a scrambled order but this is more of a problem because of the real-time nature of VoIP. In order to make voice connections with the least amount of delay, some packets may have to be dropped if they don't arrive in time. This can cause short periods of silence in the audio stream. The amount of data that is lost depends on the distance and speed of the connection. Some networks receive a lot of traffic and are more likely to cause dropouts in the audio stream. Creating dedicated data paths is one way to provide high quality audio connections. |
All these disadvantages of VoIP will be overcome in time. There is a tremendous amount of work being done to increase the reliability and usefulness of VoIP. It is estimated that by 2007 most of the kinks in the system will be worked out and VoIP will receive even more widespread consumer acceptance. It is highly likely that VoIP will eventually replace traditional phone services. The significant cost saving benefits of VoIP, far outweigh the current disadvantages of VoIP - which will soon to be resolved.
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