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VoIP phone services keep growing. The cable companies, for example Comcast, are competing very effectively against the traditional legacy carriers for voice services. Pay phones keep disappearing. Mobile voice call volume keeps growing.
We will eventually see the PSTN retire and POTS disappear. Wireless and broadband connections proliferate while the old copper pair connections offered by the Telcos are turned off, as many as 700,000 lines per month. The trend is all downhill for the PSTN and its legacy operation. This however does not mean the PSTN will close soon or without any challenges.
This discussion was prompted by a December 21, 2009 document “Comments-NBP Public Notice #25, Comments of AT&T Inc. on the Transition from the Legacy Circuit-Switched Network to Broadband” submitted to the FCC. The term used is to “sunset” the PSTN. What AT&T means is to close down the PSTN and get the approval of the FCC. AT&T wants to retire the PSTN and POTS so they can invest in broadband deployment. Part of their request is to terminate the PSTN regulatory infrastructure and remove them as the Carrier-of-Last-Resort (COLR), in other words, eliminating existing regulation and policies. Terminating the COLR policies may be the real goal of AT&T with the broadband issue used as the driver for public consumption.
This article speculates about the challenges and provides some insight to the barriers that need to be overcome. It also speculates as to the motives of AT&T and those who will be affected by the PSTN retirement.
What Does AT&T Want?
The AT&T comments submitted to the FCC contain a number of requests and recommendations that AT&T sees as necessary for the migration from a circuit switched to packet switched (IP) environment. AT&T sees the eventual demise of the circuit switched network. Here are several of the issues raised by AT&T.
•
AT&T agrees with the Congress and their goal to expand broadband service to 100% of the US.
•
AT&T says that maintaining and investing in the PSTN diverts funds from their expansion of broadband services.
•
AT&T wants a set date for the termination of the PSTN.
•
Towards this end, AT&T wants the COLR policies for the PSTN and POTS to be eliminated. This would allow AT&T to drop services where they are not profitable as well as raise the rates for those remaining on the PSTN.
•
AT&T expects the US carriers to provide voice services by wireless networks and/or VoIP services, replacing the PSTN but with few or limitations/restrictions as found with the PSTN.
One issue not covered in the AT&T comments is the concept of Carrier of Last Resort for broadband and wireless services. Without the COLR for broadband and wireless, there is still no guarantee that all locations in the US will have access to broadband and wireless communications. Indeed if they have access, will it be affordable?
Although AT&T has taken the lead on these issues, the end result will affect federal and state policies and regulations for all carriers. All the PSTN carriers are facing most of the same issues. Others carriers may join AT&T in this effort. Verizon is selling off its landline networks especially in rural areas of the U.S. It is also likely the consumer groups and some enterprises will resist this movement or a least try to have some exemptions such as for rural areas and low income communities.
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VoIP phone services keep growing. The cable companies, for example Comcast, are competing very effectively against the traditional legacy carriers for voice services. Pay phones keep disappearing. Mobile voice call volume keeps growing.
We will eventually see the PSTN retire and POTS disappear. Wireless and broadband connections proliferate while the old copper pair connections offered by the Telcos are turned off, as many as 700,000 lines per month. The trend is all downhill for the PSTN and its legacy operation. This however does not mean the PSTN will close soon or without any challenges.
This discussion was prompted by a December 21, 2009 document “Comments-NBP Public Notice #25, Comments of AT&T Inc. on the Transition from the Legacy Circuit-Switched Network to Broadband” submitted to the FCC. The term used is to “sunset” the PSTN. What AT&T means is to close down the PSTN and get the approval of the FCC. AT&T wants to retire the PSTN and POTS so they can invest in broadband deployment. Part of their request is to terminate the PSTN regulatory infrastructure and remove them as the Carrier-of-Last-Resort (COLR), in other words, eliminating existing regulation and policies. Terminating the COLR policies may be the real goal of AT&T with the broadband issue used as the driver for public consumption.
This article speculates about the challenges and provides some insight to the barriers that need to be overcome. It also speculates as to the motives of AT&T and those who will be affected by the PSTN retirement.
What Does AT&T Want?
The AT&T comments submitted to the FCC contain a number of requests and recommendations that AT&T sees as necessary for the migration from a circuit switched to packet switched (IP) environment. AT&T sees the eventual demise of the circuit switched network. Here are several of the issues raised by AT&T.
•
AT&T agrees with the Congress and their goal to expand broadband service to 100% of the US.
•
AT&T says that maintaining and investing in the PSTN diverts funds from their expansion of broadband services.
•
AT&T wants a set date for the termination of the PSTN.
•
Towards this end, AT&T wants the COLR policies for the PSTN and POTS to be eliminated. This would allow AT&T to drop services where they are not profitable as well as raise the rates for those remaining on the PSTN.
•
AT&T expects the US carriers to provide voice services by wireless networks and/or VoIP services, replacing the PSTN but with few or limitations/restrictions as found with the PSTN.
One issue not covered in the AT&T comments is the concept of Carrier of Last Resort for broadband and wireless services. Without the COLR for broadband and wireless, there is still no guarantee that all locations in the US will have access to broadband and wireless communications. Indeed if they have access, will it be affordable?
Although AT&T has taken the lead on these issues, the end result will affect federal and state policies and regulations for all carriers. All the PSTN carriers are facing most of the same issues. Others carriers may join AT&T in this effort. Verizon is selling off its landline networks especially in rural areas of the U.S. It is also likely the consumer groups and some enterprises will resist this movement or a least try to have some exemptions such as for rural areas and low income communities.
....更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net