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Originally, there was only one kind of phone operating on one kind of phone line. Those days are long gone. What we find today are the traditional, analog home lines, digital multi-line phone systems in offices and hotels, and, most recently, Voice Over IP (VOIP) phones lines that operate through the internet. VOIP systems are showing up everywhere. For the purposes of accommodating a hearing loss, the difference between analog and digital technologies boils down to the amount of electricity flowing through the phone line. Digital phones are able to regulate the amount of power they draw from the phone system to run all their extra features. Analog phones do not have this ability and are not able to protect themselves when plugged into a digital phone system. Amplified telephones, ring signalers, TTYs and the CapTel800/800i phones are all analog technologies that will not function on digital phone lines. DSL internet is also an analog phone technology. It is safe to use analog phone equipment with DSL service. In some cases, the amplified phone brings up the background noise caused by the modem signal running constantly through the phone line. A DSL filter was attached to the phone jack when the service was installed. A second filter may need to be attached to the original filter in order to block any remaining modem noise picked up by the amplified phone. The recent introduction of Voice Over IP phone service into the residential environment is raising some interesting challenges. VOIP phone systems are a digital technology when running between your service provider and your high speed modem, but from the modem to your phone, it can be either analog or digital. Often, a VOIP system is purchased as part of a high-speed internet package or bundle. If the cable installer is able to access the existing phone line hub, an ATA convertor device will be installed that will convert the VOIP signal into an analog signal. You should be able to plug your analog phone equipment into any phone jack that is supported by the ATA convertor. Unfortunately, ATA convertors are not standardized. Some models may prove to be incompatible with assistive phone technology. There is no way to anticipate or easily correct this problem. Since the people installing the high speed internet service are often sub-contractors, the parent company may not know what kind of ATA converter was used in your installation. If possible, you will want to test the phone’s performance as part of the installation process to spot any problems right away. Some new residential construction, including assisted living centers, have VOIP phone service paired up with digital phone lines throughout the facility. In these situations, the phone jacks are not analog, even though they don’t look any different. Often, an unamplified, digital phone will be provided by the facility. Another sign that the phone system is digital would be the need to route calls through a switchboard when calling into or out of the resident’s apartment. It may be possible to request an analog phone line for the apartment. This may be a matter of installing an ATA convertor or running in a second, external phone line. There are a few work-around accommodations that may be possible to use with an existing digital phone. In private homes, where it is not possible to install an ATA convertor, there are one or two analog phone jacks built into the back of the modem. This kind of phone jack can be used safely with an amplified, analog phone device. A dual phone jack adapter may be needed to connect a phone signaler alongside the amplified phone.
In an all digital environment, TTY users can place the handset of a digital landline phone into the acoustic couplers on top of the TTY instead of plugging in the phone line directly. This is a bit old-fashioned, but it does work safely. Calls would be placed or received through the existing digital phone. The TTY auto-answer function would not be available in this scenario. Another option would be internet-based TTY Relay services that bypass the phone system altogether. CapTel offers a version of its landline model called the 800i that connects to both the analog phone jack and the ethernet connection on the high speed modem. This model can be ordered directly from the manufacturer. In a residential facility or office with a digital phone system, there is a tendency for the CapTel calls to drop out due to compatibility issues with the switchboard technology. RESOURCES: Every accommodation is unique. If you have any questions, please contact us at 1 888 328 2974 (voice or TTY), or via email: store(at)hsdc.org. |
The drawback here is that the assistive phone equipment has to be set up in the same room where the modem is. In a large home, this can be an issue. There are some amplified cordless phones available with extension units that can be set up around the home.
