Ofcom is to force voice over internet (VoIP) operators to warn customers of the limitations of their service. These limitations include the inability to call 999, the phone line going dead in power cuts and the service not working when the buyer’s computer is turned off.

These warnings will have to be made to customers at the point of sale. Customers will have to sign to confirm that they have been made aware of these warnings. With operators that sell VoIP services online, such as Skype, warnings will have to be made on the screen.

Currently nearly 2 million people in the UK use voice over internet services to make telephone calls. Voice over internet allows you to make phone calls over an internet connection for a much lower cost than a traditional phone line. Often calls can be made for free. Demand for voice over internet is likely to increase substantially in the next few years.

Many operators belong to the Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Association, which is unhappy with the changes. Eli Katz, its chairman, said: “These proposals are the most prescriptive set of regulations of anywhere in the world.’’

This entry was posted on Friday, December 1st, 2006 at 3:09 pm and is filed under Voice over Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.