[ NNSquad ] Re: [BarryDGold@ca.rr.com: Re: AT&T Asks FCC to Kill Conventional (POTS) Phone Service]

[Bob Poortinga <nnsquad@k9sql.us>]

>> AT&T Asks FCC to Kill Conventional (POTS) Phone Service
>>
>> http://bit.ly/6HP5r3  (GigaOM)

I would just like to point that there are millions of devices out
there which depend on POTS service to work properly.  Items such as
security systems, postage meters, remote sensors, and, yes, even FAX
machines either work poorly or do no work at all on VOIP (even G.711)
systems.  Replacing all these devices with VOIP compatible workalikes
(if they are even available) would be costly and time consuming.

My employer uses an unregulated VOIP service from AT&T (IP Flexible
Reach which uses G.729) in some of our offices, but we still have to
maintain POTS lines for our FAX machines, security systems, and
STU-III phones <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STU-III>.

   [ Converter boxes to handle the basic interface issues would likely
     be available, but how cost effective these would be for most
     consumer POTS equipment (vs. buying all new phones, etc.) is
     another matter.  As the underlying backbone voice networks move
     toward VoIP (whether on the public Internet or private telco
     intranets), issues like FAX compatibility may get more complex --
     even if you have an analog access line.  I frequently hear
     complaints about FAX being unusable over some existng VoIP
     systems.  I can certainly imagine that STU-III in its current
     form might also have similar issues.  I can't test that though,
     since I don't have an STU-III handy -- I'm still stuck with
     (FO-F-I-P) AUTOVON.  That's a joke, son, a joke!

       -- Lauren Weinstein
          NNSquad Moderator ]  


      

-- 
Bob Poortinga  K9SQL
Bloomington, IN  US