Portability – we think of the ability to move something from place to place when the word is used. Today, I think I fell upon the fact that we have, in fact, become nearly portable with our lives.
First, the cellular phone offered us flexibility to roam without restrictive wires to keep us tied down. We were able to say we were in the doctor’s office waiting room (or better yet in the room, waiting for the doctor) (whether we were or weren’t) when someone was needing us or looking for us.
But the rollout of VOIP may “blur” physical lines. Or can it?
With most VOIP providers, you can choose a telephone number anywhere, not just where you live. So, I was testing AT&T Callvantage’s service to determine if they were the VOIP provider for me. The answer to that question – is no. It was a terribly crackled experience and I didn’t have it setup very long, however while I did – callers thought I was calling from the 408 areacode in Malibu, California. Cool, hell ya!
So, now that we have a Malibu, CA phone number, we can seemingly be in Malibu when someone calls. But, yes, it does get better. For those of you who need the convenience of having your family call you without incurring toll charges, you can add another local number for only about $5 a month. So now, you can have an incoming presence in multiple physical locations throughout the united states on your phone and your phone alone.
Today, I went though an experience which helped me understand that the reality of portability has arrived. Due to a conflicting move schedule, I was forced to stay in a hotel for a few days while the current occupants of my soon-to-be residence get moved to their new home. In choosing a hotel, the first and only question other than price was, do you have internet? How much? Wireless or Wired?
I settled for a wired connection in the Hampton Inn. The Hampton Inn chain has always been a great place to stay. They had wired connections in the room, and i brought my VOIP adapter from AOL. Upon check-in, I plugged it in, and Viola! I was now able to answer my home phone. Irregardless of location?
So, next time you call a 212 phone number, don’t be so sure you are calling NY.
We are portable now.
