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PCI Broadvoice FAQ's
911 Notice
911 Service on VOIP phones is
registered to the mailing address that you provide when you sign up for service.
This is important because you can take the VOIP ATA locations. When you
dial 911, authorities will be sent to the registered address, which may not be
where you are at the time. You can be held liable for sending police or
emergency persons to the wrong location if you do not notify them you are at an
alternate location.
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What is VOIP?
VOIP stands for Voice
Over Internet
Protocol. Your voice conversation is
transmitted over the internet just like sounds from a webpage.
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Can I
use VOIP?Anyone with a broadband connection can use VOIP.
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Is
there a minimum bandwidth needed? VOIP uses 78k so most
connections faster than dialup will work.
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How's
the quality? Of course we'll say it's just fine. Our experience in using the service for over three years
is that voice quality is very good as long as there is no problem with your Internet connection.
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Can I
have multiple VOIP phone lines? Yes, for a small fee you can.
You may need to upgrade the VOIP device you're using to a two line model.
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Are
there any hidden fees or taxes? There are no hidden fees.
There is $1.95 911 fee and currently a Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF) fee.
Some cities choose to tax services and that may apply to you.
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Are
State to State long distance calls free? In the VOIP world
a local and long distance call costs the same so there is no additional fee
for calls anywhere in the U.S. There is an additional fee for
International calls.
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How much do international calls cost?
Select a country and Submit to see rates (as of July 03 2009):
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How
often do customers experience service interruptions? PCI has been providing VOIP service for over three years and
it has been very reliable. Of course if your Internet connection goes down, then the phone no longer works. Your voicemail will still
work and you can even forward your number if your phone service is down.
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Can I
bring my VOIP ATA to other locations for use? Yes.
Your VOIP ATA will function on any broadband connection but there are
variables such and network configurations, firewalls, and hotel switchboards
that may affect or even prohibit use. Also see the 911 notification.
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Will my
fax machine work over VOIP? Yes and No. Some customers have great success using their Fax machines over a VOIP line, but some people
have nothing but problems. We can provide a demo line for you to test your fax so you can make your own decision.
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Will I
keep my phone number. You can if you'd like to. You
can fill out a form that will 'port' your phone number to your new phone
service with us. It takes about two weeks and you will have a
temporary phone number during that time. That temporary number will
not have 911 capabilities.
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Can I
have an unlisted phone number? Yes. Just let us know
when you place the order what you'd like to have listed. Name only,
name and address, or nothing.
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What
happens if my internet connection goes down?Since the VOIP
system works over your internet connection, if the connection goes down so
does your ability to make and receive phone calls.
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Does
the line out from the ATA have to go into a phone or the wall jack?
The most simple way is to go directly into a phone. There are
expandable cordless phone systems that allow up to 8 handsets. In some
cases, depending on your home wiring, you may be able to plug the line into
a wall jack and make all of the house's jack's available for use. We
cannot guarantee this configuration will work.
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