Switching To VoIP
If you've decided to try out VoIP, there are a number of practical issues to consider before signing up.
Firstly, find out if it's possible to have a phone number in your local area. Having a non-local number might not matter if you plan to use VoIP mainly for outgoing calls, but bear in mind that friends and family may have to make a long distance (or national rate) call to reach you, if your VoIP number is in another city.
With VoIP services covering more and more UK phone exchanges this is not really a barrier for most users. But some VoIP services only offer 0870, 0845 or 056 numbers. If you want a "geographic" number, then these services might not be for you.
Some people don't like to rely solely on VoIP because, unlike traditional phone systems, if you have a power cut, you're likely to lose your broadband connection and your VoIP access too. Many people like to keep a landline phone service or mobile phone as a backup.
It's also worth remembering that although most VoIP phone systems can make emergency calls, the 999 operator cannot locate callers automatically. Some more expensive VoIP equipment has a "lifeline" function that connects emergency calls, and all calls if there is a power failure, to a landline.
But callers who do dial 999 from a VoIP line can, of course, tell the operator where they are calling from.
