VoIP Cutoff Coming... Are All VoIP Providers Being Honest?

from the who's-gonna-check? dept

Thu, Aug 25th 2005 11:33am — Mike Masnick

We've written about the somewhat bizarre requirement by the FCC for VoIP providers to cut off any customer who doesn't acknowledge that VoIP 911 might have problems (even though regular 911 may have problems too and even if the VoIP provider has fully working E911 service). That deadline is getting closer, leading many stories trying to alert people to the fact that they may lose their VoIP lines in a few days if they don't officially acknowledge the potential weaknesses in VoIP 911. The reports from the VoIP providers are somewhat mixed about how many of their customers have responded, but it does raise a question: who is going to check those numbers? Will the FCC go around and make sure that customers have actually acknowledged the 911 notice? So here come the rumors, as some have noted that Time Warner Cable is claiming 100% of their customers have officially acknowledged the 911 issue. Getting all the way to 100% is quite impressive, and apparently some think that Time Warner is simply calling the FCC's bluff to see if (1) anyone will check and (2) they'll really force the VoIP providers to cut off customers. Should be a fun few days.

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Director Mitch, 25 Aug 2005 @ 3:11pm

It isn't that Hard
Vonage Did the Following things to make sure I acknowledged it:

- Computer generated voicemail on my phone. I got the "stuttering dial tone" telling me I had a voicemail, which told me about the issue and what to do.

- Any time you log onto your account, say to listed to your voicemail on-line, check your bill, change options, etc., you cannot do anything until you acknowledge the 911 issue

- I received an email at my address of record

I suppose that a few people might still slip through the cracks, but it would be pretty difficult for anyone who just moderately paid attention to their account. So while 100% is probably not quite true, I would bet it was pretty high.
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DGK12, 25 Aug 2005 @ 8:20pm

VonageQuest
Vonage it seems has gone to great lengths to have the customers acknowledge the E911 issue. For starters, they ship with all devices a nice BIG info page about setting it up (before the problem was brought up publicly even). And now for customers to lazy to look at the documents that come with the package, or too blind to see the many notices posted everywhere, they do even more.
First, you are greeted with a page when attempting to log on, which forces you to acknowledge it before continuing. They mail you a notice to remind you. These are just a few of the ways they try to get your attention.

If Time-Warner(+AOL) can claim the same, I doubt it. If theirs any complaints about Vonage, its personal and not a real issue. Back when they first started advertising I got the service and was greeted with these kinds of papers. Anyone who says they 'didn't know' is lying (or they are either blind or stupid as afore mentioned).

~ John
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Becky, 19 Sep 2005 @ 10:42am

TW lied to me
I am a new Time Warner VOIP customer, as of early September, 2005. They most certainly never told me that 911 doesn't work. The only drawback they admitted to was: if you lose power or lose cable, you lose VOIP. They also did not tell me that I wouldn't have a dial tone about half the time.
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