I also recently switched to VoIP and I wanted to share my experience here for the benefit of all. Some basics:
State: Florida
County: Indian River
Telco Provider: Bellsouth
New VoIP Provider: Vonage
Procedure: Signed up at Vonage's website and had my telephone number "ported" to my VoIP service so I could keep the same number.
Result:
I have no dial tone whatsoever at my jack. Since I am also a novice installer (phone system technician), I have the equipment for diagnosing the problem all the way back to the box on the side of my house where the signal comes in. I opened the box and connected my buttset directly at the telco's box. Still nothing.
Most people don't know this, but phones are powered by 48v DC current that is provided by the actual phone line. Without tone or voltage, there is no way the phone can work. Your phone can't generate DTMF tones (the sounds you hear when you press buttons) without this voltage.
In short, I can't dial 9-1-1, regardless of any FCC mandate, and I think it's important that people know this.
Note: Yes, I tried dialing 9-1-1, even with no dial tone. Silence is all I got.
