TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Internet Phone Companies May Cut Off Customers

Re: Internet Phone Companies May Cut Off Customers

Gordon S. Hlavenka (nospam@crashelex.com)
Sat, 27 Aug 2005 22:02:12 -0500

Bruce Meyerson wrote:

> Providers of Internet-based phone services may be forced next week to
> cut off tens of thousands of customers who haven't formally
> acknowledged that they understand the problems they may encounter
> dialing 911 in an emergency.

I have a Vonage box that I use only occasionally. I'm signed up for
the $15/mo service; originally I saw it as an inexpensive way to
"park" a couple of phone numbers, but Vonage was unable to transfer
the numbers in (partly my fault) so I never really got much use out of
it.

I'm probably going to be canceling the service soon in any case. In
the meantime, experimentally, I'm leaving it alone and intentionally
not responding to their notices just to see what will happen with this
whole 911 thing.

On July 3 I got my first notice saying, "In response to a recently
announced FCC 911 ruling, we are required to ensure that you
acknowledge your understanding of our 911 Dialing feature."

A week later (7/11) I got another: "...due to a recently announced FCC
911 ruling, we are required to ensure that you acknowledge your
understanding of these differences. To continue to provide you with
premium Vonage service, please login to your web account to review
this feature and acknowledge your understanding."

A few days later (7/15): "Recently we've sent you notifications about
the important differences between our 911 Dialing feature and
traditional 911 ... [P]lease Click Here to view a notice on our 911
Dialing and acknowledge that you have read and understand the
information. Please do so now as failure to do so may affect your
Vonage service."

Then (7/19): "You may have missed the recent notifications requesting
that you view a notice on our 911 Dialing. Click Here to view the
important differences ... Failure to do so may result in a disruption
of your Vonage service."

On 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11: "We have sent numerous notifications
requiring that you view a notice on our 911 Dialing. Click Here now to
view the important differences ... Failure to do so may require us to
restrict your Vonage service, as per the FCC."

On 8/18, then daily from 8/22 to present: "We have sent numerous
notifications requiring that you view a notice on our 911 Dialing.
Pursuant to an Order from the Federal Communications Commission, <b>if
you do not acknowledge this notice, we will be required to restrict
your outbound calling for your Vonage service.</b>"

Along with the latest note, I've also been getting daily recorded
messages on the Vonage line.

It's been interesting to watch the details fill in as time goes on.
At the moment (8/27) the Vonage line is still working normally; we'll
see what happens Tuesday :-)

Gordon S. Hlavenka http://www.crashelectronics.com
If your teacher tells you to Question Authority
Should you do it?

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