Originally, call quality was a concern but quality is now rated as similar to traditional calls in most surveys. Reliability is also good in general although new users need to realize that when power is lost or their internet connection is down, calls can not be made. This can be easily circumvented however by using an auxiliary, uninterrupted power supply, and back up communication in the form of a cell phone or land line for use in such emergencies. However, the biggest hurdle still being addressed by internet phone providers is assuring that customers have access to 911 or E911 services.

In 2005, the FCC mandated that internet phone providers give customers access to 911/E911. Providers are still struggling to make this happen. In some instances, gaining access to the 911 system is limited but in many instances the difficulty is due to the portability of the service. Here is an example. With traditional phone services, the 911 system allows emergency response operators to identify the location or address of the person calling based upon their phone number; operators basically receive the information from a sort of reverse telephone directory database. However, with internet phone a caller's number is attributed to the device and if the location of the device changes (i.e. they take it with them on a trip) the system can not automatically identify their location. Currently, it is the responsibility of the consumer to assure they notify their internet phone provider of their location/address to keep the information up-to-date in the database. Obviously, if a caller away from his identified location reaches 911 and is able to tell the operator their location the call would then need to be re-directed to the correct 911 center for the area. However, this becomes a much bigger issue when the caller is unable to speak for any reason.