[oclug] POTS -> SIP providers in Canada?

[Brad Barnett]

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 16:35:00 -0400
miden <miden at travel-net.com> wrote:

> At band camp, one time, Greg said:
> > Never mind the Muscovites.  I would wonder about anybody : if they try
> > 
> > to deceive me about trivia, is there any chance at all they will be 
> > honest when real money is involved.
> 
> 
> Yep... and I can't see any purpose for this service other than 
> deception. Willing to be enlightened, of course.
> 


If you are referring to having a number in one location, when your office
is in another, there can be good reasons.

Sometimes this solution is cheaper than an 800 number, for starters. 
Especially if you really only want presence in a select area.

For example, I'm in a position, living in Aylmer, where I like having
either an 800 number or a local Ottawa number.  I'm not being sneaky.  I
do business in the Ottawa region, I live.. effectively.. in the Ottawa
region.  However, my land line number is long distance for some people in
the Ottawa region.

Providing a 613-Ottawa or 800 based number saves them from calling me long
distance, on their dime.  It is a courtesy, for my clients.

Another use is for travel.  If I end up doing a service call in Northern
Ontario, should my clients have to track me down somehow?  Some keep a
cell phone number, use that as their point of contact, and forward
that number around.  Is that dishonest?

Effectively, people are doing the same with VOIP.

So, there can be logical and reasonable reasons for using a phone number
in one call area, from another.  I know that Greg and you are likely
just referring to off-shoring, of course.  Still, I don't find that
practise very deceptive.. after all, they aren't "hiding" that fact,
because they provide a cost free number to call them.  What else are they
to do?  Provide you with a long distance number, to India, when you want
tech support on your Dell box?

Of course not.