VOIP What would you do?

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extech

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#279691 2-Nov-2020 08:59

We moved from a wireless broadband only area where we also had a voip " landline". We are now in a VDSL area and opted for a VOIP number again.
Should we have opted for a "normal" landline instead of the voip since the physical copper connection is already there?
Apart from filters etc. are there any downsides.
An advantage to the non VOIP is when power or broadband goes off the phone still works.

xpd

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#2596121 2-Nov-2020 09:18

Completely up to you if you stay on it or not. VoIP is portable though, so you can set it up anywhere (depending on supplier) so can get calls even when on holiday. Also, when copper is finally killed off, you'll already be setup and going.

With power cut, do your phones work though... ;) Most people have cordless phones these days which require the base unit to have power. Some have batteries but most dont.

Only other downside I can think of with VoIP is if your connection is being saturated/network issues, quality can drop.

I've been on VoIP for years now, and not had any issues that make me regret it. (Orcon, Voyager, 2Talk).

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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extech

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#2596163 2-Nov-2020 11:06

If or when copper is discontinued I will lose my VDSL anyway.
A part of me thinks that if I start using the actual copper for my phone line that there will be a disincentive to "cut" the line. A bit like having railway lines still there and used, most people agree that it was a terrible mistake to stop using them.
My cordless phone will still work in a power outage albeit not cordless, the onboard batteries supply power to the cradle if left in situ.
So if as I suspect , the voice quality is better over hard lines than VOIP and broadband is unaffected is seems there is a case for ditching the VOIP.

speed

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#2596165 2-Nov-2020 11:13

@extech - you raise some good reasons to stick with the PSTN in your area for now.

But the big selling point for VoIP (to me) is price. The copper PoTS is hugely overpriced (imo), and that alone would be reason enough for me to change.

xpd

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#2596194 2-Nov-2020 12:20

Yeah, I'm paying about $10+gst a month - https://www.2talk.co.nz/pricing

Then obviously my internet on top of that.

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extech

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#2596199 2-Nov-2020 12:35

xpd:

Yeah, I'm paying about $10+gst a month - https://www.2talk.co.nz/pricing

Then obviously my internet on top of that.

From memory fairly sure the cost was the same with either a voip or copper phone line , after all same copper is used. I am with Orcon

sbiddle

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#2596212 2-Nov-2020 13:17

extech:

If or when copper is discontinued I will lose my VDSL anyway.
A part of me thinks that if I start using the actual copper for my phone line that there will be a disincentive to "cut" the line. A bit like having railway lines still there and used, most people agree that it was a terrible mistake to stop using them.
My cordless phone will still work in a power outage albeit not cordless, the onboard batteries supply power to the cradle if left in situ.
So if as I suspect , the voice quality is better over hard lines than VOIP and broadband is unaffected is seems there is a case for ditching the VOIP.

The question is really "why" - because as far as I'm concerned there is not a single benefit.

Call quality on VoIP is identical to that of a POTS landline - it uses the same identical G.711a codec as a landline. You're also wrong to assume you will lose your VDSL when copper is continued because the PSTN shutdown and copper shutdown are two entirely different things.

The NEAX PSTN shutdown has already started and next month the first two metropolitan areas to lose copper POTS services (Miramar and Devonport) will see all NEAX services discontinued. While there is no public time frame for the full POTS shutdown it will very likely see most parts of NZ lose NEAX based voice services within the next 18 months. This does NOT mean copper broadband services are being discontinued, and copper based broadband will continue to be available well beyond this time, however we will probably see restrictions on new xDSL based installations in UFB areas. In non UFB areas copper based broadband services could well still exist until for at least another decade.

So if you decide you want to change your voice services to copper POTS and are willing to pay an extra $50 or so per month just for that convenience (and that is assuming your RSP will even let you do that - many won't), then depending on your RSP you'll find yourself moved back to RGW based VoIP at some point within the next 18 months or so anyway.

extech

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#2596382 2-Nov-2020 15:40

Ok . Seems I have made some wrong assumptions.
I assumed that all the talk of the end of copper services meant the physical cable would not be maintained and I would be persuaded to move to a wireless service (I am rural so no chance of fibre). Good to know that the copper broadband could continue for possibly another decade.
I also assumed that a POTS phone was better quality than VOIP so that assumption seems to be dispelled.
Finally the cost. I cannot find what the price difference is from having a VOIP or POTS , but it seems from replies that there is one and it is significant.
So looks like the status quo is best.

Thanks for all the help and advice

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#2596391 2-Nov-2020 15:58

If you're rural the reality is you will have xDSL for many years to come. Once the NEAX's are decommissioned RSP's will have the option of deploying voice over the RGW (like you have now) or using PSTN emulation from the Chorus ISAM - this means your dial tone will still come over copper, but won't come from the NEAX and will instead come from an ISAM-V card in the exchange or cabinet.

Rikkitic

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#2596415 2-Nov-2020 16:31

We are rural and our landline cost us about $50 a month from Spark if I remember correctly. It often went out and it was always a major hassle trying to convince someone on the help line that the problem was at their end, not ours, and yes, we had tried disconnecting all the phones and plugging them back in.

When we were able to get RBI, and later WISP, we also changed the phone service. It cost $15 a month on top of the broadband, there was no discernible quality difference, and we had far fewer outages, though when we did have one it was more of a problem since we also couldn't use the phone. Since moving to the WISP, we almost never have issues of any kind.

I bought a small inexpensive UPS (Constant Vigil) to power the router and ATA from a car battery. I also kept an old analogue phone that gets its power from the line connection so we always have one phone that works. On the occasions we have lost power, this system works well. I wouldn't go back to copper if Spark offered to plough our paddocks for us. This is so much better in every possible way.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

nztim

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#2596434 2-Nov-2020 17:14

sbiddle:
extech:

If or when copper is discontinued I will lose my VDSL anyway.
A part of me thinks that if I start using the actual copper for my phone line that there will be a disincentive to "cut" the line. A bit like having railway lines still there and used, most people agree that it was a terrible mistake to stop using them.
My cordless phone will still work in a power outage albeit not cordless, the onboard batteries supply power to the cradle if left in situ.
So if as I suspect , the voice quality is better over hard lines than VOIP and broadband is unaffected is seems there is a case for ditching the VOIP.

The question is really "why" - because as far as I'm concerned there is not a single benefit.

Call quality on VoIP is identical to that of a POTS landline - it uses the same identical G.711a codec as a landline. You're also wrong to assume you will lose your VDSL when copper is continued because the PSTN shutdown and copper shutdown are two entirely different things.

The NEAX PSTN shutdown has already started and next month the first two metropolitan areas to lose copper POTS services (Miramar and Devonport) will see all NEAX services discontinued. While there is no public time frame for the full POTS shutdown it will very likely see most parts of NZ lose NEAX based voice services within the next 18 months. This does NOT mean copper broadband services are being discontinued, and copper based broadband will continue to be available well beyond this time, however we will probably see restrictions on new xDSL based installations in UFB areas. In non UFB areas copper based broadband services could well still exist until for at least another decade.

So if you decide you want to change your voice services to copper POTS and are willing to pay an extra $50 or so per month just for that convenience (and that is assuming your RSP will even let you do that - many won't), then depending on your RSP you'll find yourself moved back to RGW based VoIP at some point within the next 18 months or so anyway.

Its the end of Copper Broadband in Devonort and Miramar if you are a Spark Customer they are not offering ISAM-V or XDSL in those areas, those customers who wish to keep copper voice will need to move to another RSP who will offer ISAM-V voice (Now NZ)

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