Pros and Cons of Google voice as Primary Provider?
lhm.:
Primary home phone for 6+years. Very satisfied. Cause da price be right. ;D
Rick:
Quote from: CheapPhone on February 21, 2013, 01:52:20 pm
Per my understanding, any cell phone (even one that is no longer in service) has the emergency call available. So you can just get such a phone (old phone too but not too old as this feature is only by law enabled within last 10 years or so? cannot remember the exact date) that is not in service and use for emergency from home if you must.
This is free.....
Best regards,
Eugen
You're not understanding the issue. Cell phones actually have the exact same issue as Google Voice in that E911 (enhanced 911) isn't available. In other words, the emergency dispatch center operator has no idea what physical address you are calling from.
So, whether you use GV or your cell phone, if you can't tell them where you live (a child, a visitor to your house, or if you were incapacitated but could dial the phone) then they can't help you.
CheapPhone:
Quote from: Rick on February 21, 2013, 02:16:07 pm
You're not understanding the issue. Cell phones actually have the exact same issue as Google Voice in that E911 (enhanced 911) isn't available. In other words, the emergency dispatch center operator has no idea what physical address you are calling from.
So, whether you use GV or your cell phone, if you can't tell them where you live (a child, a visitor to your house, or if you were incapacitated but could dial the phone) then they can't help you.
Pardon me but you are not correct. E911 can locate you, and there are many ways it can do that. If your smartphone has a GPS feature and you are in a place that the GPS works, it will find you (even if you disable location services in Android for example, the E911 cannot be disabled).
For more info find here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_9-1-1
So if you have a cordless phone linked to your smartphone at home (one or more) with Link to Cell, you have emergency calling and such can be used with one or more of the smartphones.
Even if GPS is not able to work, there are ways to triangulate you and find your place quite well... read above Wikipedia for more info.
Anyway, for me, E911 is fine.
By the way, when Sandy visited us, guess what was the first thing that did not work? Yes, the Verizon landline! So much for a stable, reliable landline and 911... After 1/2 hour the landline died. The Smartphone was working all the time (had generator power.... we had no power here in NJ). So guess what I did? I dropped the landline. Waste of money for "safety" that failed in an emergency. Thank God I did not need use 911...
But if you wish to pay for a "service" and feel safer, that is your choice of course. I do not see how a service can do more than what E911 does... based on what other infrastructure that "service" has in place ?? They will connect you to the E911 system which you already have if you have a smartphone....!
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RFord:
FYI
Here is an illustration of mobile e911 deficiency:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sunrise/fl-misdirected-911-call-sunrise-20130220,0,2578763.story
giqcass:
Google Voice had some reliability issues way back. I haven't seen any problems recently. Your primary points of failure will be your internet connection or loss of power. In either case your cell phone will still ring. I have not had any complaints about people not getting through.
There are a number of ways to handle 911 calls. Do a quick search for 911 on the forum and you will find plenty of info on that. It comes down to either cheapskate 911 or premium 911 which is still pretty cheap.
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