[Asterisk-Users] OT: DSL without voice

[Joe Greco]

> On Fri, 17 Dec 2004, Joe Greco wrote:
> 
> > > Joe Greco schrieb:
> > >
> > > > Don't forget, you ought to have a conventional phone line for E911
> > > > purposes, including "what happens when a hurricane goes through and my ISP
> > > > becomes toast". VoIP is a neat technology but it lacks the resiliency of
> > > > the traditional phone system.
> > >
> > > For this you can take your mobile. When my local company (T-Com) decides
> > > to allow ADSL without a phone line I will take it. I've got my mobile
> > > for cases of emergency.
> > >
> > > And since in germany there is really no danger of a hurricane the
> > > stability of the mobile nets should be sufficient. ;-)
> >
> >
> > I do think the thing that worries me about this trend is the unexpected
> > scenario.  Right now, we have a fairly high quality E911 system (dunno
> > about where you are) and people expect that they can dial "911" and the
> > right things happen.
> >
> > So what if you've got some friends visiting your house and you have a heart
> > attack and no 911 on your POTS-via-VoIP?  Are they expected to know your
> > cell phone's unlock code?  Are they required to bring their own cells as a
> > prerequisite for visiting?  Or is it acceptable for them to have to go
> > finding a neighbor who has a usable POTS phone?
> 
> This random thought just popped into my head: Seems like I've read that
> any cell handset will place a 911 call, regardless of whether it is
> associated with a valid and paid-up account. Is that true? If so, then
> maybe we could just attach GSM interfaces to our asterisk box to provide
> communications in the unlikely emergency (so long as the LAN and * box
> have power to operate, that is). Whaddaya think?

In five years, when GPS cell phone location services are mature and stable,
this is probably a fairly good solution.

Until then, it suffers the same problems as contemporary 911-via-cell
service.  :-/

It's that whole early adopter thing again.  Heh.

... JG
-- 
Joe Greco - sol.net Network Services - Milwaukee, WI - http://www.sol.net
"We call it the 'one bite at the apple' rule. Give me one chance [and] then I
won't contact you again." - Direct Marketing Ass'n position on e-mail spam(CNN)
With 24 million small businesses in the US alone, that's way too many apples.