VoIP Is it Legal?
by: Lisa Kaye

I have been in telecom for 12 years and for 12 years I have spoken to my mom at least once a week if not more. She always asks me how is work? Are you still doing that little telephone thing? About six months ago she called me up because she had heard something that may be of interest to me on her talk radio program earlier that morning. She did not want to forget to ask me about it so she wrote it down, (my mom will not call before 5 because she still believes the calling rates go down in half after 5), but she can’t seem to find the paper she just had in her hands- she asked if I could hold a minute. After I hear the rotary phone hit the counter and a bunch papers rustling- she gets back on the phone with her revelation. She is going to spell it for me and she wants to know if I am ready to write it down.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again….expecting a different result. So here I am insane and armed with a pen she starts to spell it for me V-O-I-P. VoIP….. My mom wants to know if I have ever heard of it. I respond with a yes mom that is what I do. She responds with an OK I just wanted to make sure you knew about this new way of calling. They say it is really going to become popular. On that note I shifted the conversation.

Time passed and two weeks ago I called my mom and I got the where have you been? Working mom on a product for small businesses that already have an existing phone system and want to use VoIP. I proceeded with explaining how it will save companies a lot of money on their monthly phone bills and in some cases up to 70%. She responds with “Well Lisa, VoIP- now is what you are doing legal? I was stunned and amused so I responded with well mom I guess I will be find out soon enough if it is legal. It is not like I live a life of a criminal, but as far as my parents and their age group 60-80 if it is new and innovative……it is probably illegal or a scam.

Senior Citizens are the fastest growing population in America accessing the internet today. They also have the most discretionary income. The VoIP providers are really missing out on this market by not educating seniors about VoIP and the amount of savings they can save a month or annually on the phone service.

So as it stands now my mom thinks I am a thug, but the good news is she sent me a clipping from one of her magazines with a little note attached that read Google have you heard of them?

About The Author
Lisa Kaye has been in telecommunications for 12 years. She's the V.P. of Marketing and Agent Development for http://www.telecomarena.com.