Caveat Emptor

I may soon emerge from the lab long enough to start considering which broadband provider I should consider. One thing I've been pondering is the ability to combine our cable service with broadband, and either or both of these with our telephone land line.

From the Houston Chronicle is the following cautionary tale. The take-home message is to be sure you know for a fact that you'll be able to call 911 if you get your phone service through your ISP using VoIP (voice-over-internet protocol).

John and his wife, Sosamma, were attacked by two men at their southwest Houston home earlier this month. As they struggled with the intruders, John was shot in the right thigh and torso. His wife was wounded in the left thigh.

But when their 17-year-old daughter Joyce, who was in the house at the time, tried 911, the call would not go through.

The attackers fled, leaving a shaken John wondering whether to reconsider his money-saving phone plan.

... [M]ost of the IP service providers don't interconnect with the 911 network," Executive Director John Melcher said.

... [U]nless [VoIP customers] sign up for service that routes calls to emergency dispatchers, [they] cannot contact the local 911 network.

John said he did not know he needed to sign up for the service, which is explained on the phone company's Web site [italics mine].

Good to know.

-- CAV