Verizon Communications has become the latest
telecommunications company to announce plans to offer voice
over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, which may have
compatibility issues with some alarm monitoring systems.
Verizon says it will offer the “VoiceWing” service
nationwide to customers with high-speed Internet
connections.
VoIP allows voice telephone calls to be transmitted over
the Internet the same way Web pages and E-mail are and can
replace a customer’s landline. However, there have been
warnings that a customer who switches to VoIP may
compromise the link between their alarm system and central
station. (See the
Industry
Pulse: In Depth feature in the
April 2004 issue of SSI).
Verizon joins fellow telecoms like AT&T and Vonage in
offering VoIP, along with cable companies like Time Warner
Cable and Comcast. Verizon is offering VoiceWing
nationwide, but will only be able to offer local numbers in
33 states.
