Will I be able to use my phone during power outages with VoIP?

Will VoIP systems work in power outages in order for me to be able to use my phone? Are there back up programs set up in the case of a power outage? That is a good question. In a power outage, it is often important that you have a standard corded telephone to plug in, as a back up for communication of the return of the power, and in the case of any emergency.

With the personal set up of the VoIP telephone, you may be using only the adapter to transfer the voice to data. In this case, with no back up set up you would not have 911 Dialing and SureRing. VoIP services will not work during an electrical power outage or broadband provider outage. While you cannot control a power outage that actually disrupts your broadband Internet service, one method you can use is to install an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) to your Internet router to continue to provide AC power to your DSL/cable/wireless modem, phone adaptor and phone. A UPS can be purchased at an electronics store.

However, with the VoIP systems using the Internet through a provider, the answer is yes. There is usually a back up plan in place for your system to continue to work for a 24-hour period. This is due to the use of a rechargeable battery in the majority of the equipment provided by your VoIP provider. You can ask your provider what back up systems they provide for your service.

Depending of the power in the power supply or rechargeable battery it can last up to 24-hours. However, this is not for a constant call process. It is more for the emergency services and priority calling.

Most power outages are directed in specific areas. This means that where your power is out in your neighborhood it is likely not out where your cable, or DSL is coming from. Therefore using the APS or battery back up will make your phone as reliable as the traditional phone lines.

In addition to this being a convenience as far as having the phone available, but it also makes the restart of the power simpler. This is because; you do not have to try to get to the router to reset the router when the power comes back on.

Keep in mind that in order to keep the VoIP line working for as long as possible during a power outage, you will want to only plug small necessary electronic items into your UPS. The necessary items are your DSL/cable modem, your router, your VoIP adapter, and your cordless phone.

Do not plug power devices that suck up the power (anything that generates a great deal of heat, like computer monitors and fancy lights) into the UPS, or else when the power goes out, the UPS will last you simply a short time like only a couple of minutes.

With the broadband modems and home routers used for VoIP systems, without the back up battery or UPS, there will be no power to the phone; therefore, there is not power to the use of a home security system. This is another reason that you need the back up power source for your VoIP system. Your alarm system will not be able to transmit a signal to your monitoring company in the event that your alarm would need to go off.

Overall, the VoIP systems are secure. They will maintain the power for the system if you take the precautions to hook up the back up battery or the UPS. As said before, there are many of the companies who are the providers of VoIP that will provide this as a service to you.