End of the traditional (POTS) phone system ?

[3930dave]

I'm watching this trend/battle, as what happens in the USA often soon follows up here.

The biggest implications are in remote rural areas, as to date there seems to be no Internet equivalent to the guaranteed Universal Access of the old POTS service.

Prepare to Hang Up the Phone, Forever - WSJ.com

Personally (I realize many people have no concerns with wireless cell service), from a Safety/Geo Location standpoint, I prefer the performance and reliability of a landline.

I'll add another link, that will add some context, but with the following advisory for those not familiar with Slashdot:

A fair number of tech savvy folks hang out on Slashdot, including many current and former telco engineers - the reason for me adding the link. The moderation on Slashdot tends to be a bit looser than on TBN here in the respect that occasional expletives (swear words) are not modd'ed out. The majority of posters on there are intelligent and articulate, but can tend to use expletives when describing the corporate behaviour driving things like this legislation. While I don't disagree with their sentiments, I just wanted to spell that out...... If you don't want to see the occasional swear word (personally, or on a work screen) don't drop by Slashdot.

WSJ: Prepare To Hang Up the Phone — Forever - Slashdot

I think this evolving situation has huge implications for some rural areas.

(I got a kick out of the comments by Animats on Slashdot. He details several problem areas for cell coverage,in Silicon Valley, of all places !).

Rgds, D.

 

[Daver1963]

The old wire network has been in decay similar to the highways, but instead of being replaced with more wire in a lot of areas they have steadily been putting in fiber optics which have more capacity than wire. Even in my rural area there is fiber up to within about 200 yards of my house. I live 5 miles outside of town. Somewhere there is a breakout box which converts that fiber signal into analog telephone service (POTS) that comes into my house. It also brings internet with a speed that a few years previous was only available riding the backbone on a cable TV network in town.
To extend any wireless network, at first, is going to require some wires (either copper or glass) at first I would think. You have to get a service established and then eventually wean it off the wires as it becomes more reliable.
I do find the first lines of the article amusing in that it states that "Telecom giants are lobbying states, one by one, to hang up the plain, old telephone system, what the industry now calls POTS--" (My emphasis) due to the fact that the author of this article seems to think that "POTS" is a somewhat new term, but one that has been around eons.

 

[dave1949]

The ConnectMe program which aims at expanding broadband service is paid for by service provider fees. We pay $4.43 on our $162.18 monthly cable (VOIP digital phone, basic TV pkg, 4 Meg/384 Kb internet) bill for this program.

We don't have cell service worth paying for at home. Someday I will join the 21st Century and get a Smart Phone. I fear I will will be too dumb to use it by the time that is possible. :laughing:

About ConnectME

 

[3930dave]

The old wire network has been in decay similar to the highways, but instead of being replaced with more wire in a lot of areas they have steadily been putting in fiber optics which have more capacity than wire. Even in my rural area there is fiber up to within about 200 yards of my house. I live 5 miles outside of town. Somewhere there is a breakout box which converts that fiber signal into analog telephone service (POTS) that comes into my house. It also brings internet with a speed that a few years previous was only available riding the backbone on a cable TV network in town.
To extend any wireless network, at first, is going to require some wires (either copper or glass) at first I would think. You have to get a service established and then eventually wean it off the wires as it becomes more reliable.
I do find the first lines of the article amusing in that it states that "Telecom giants are lobbying states, one by one, to hang up the plain, old telephone system, what the industry now calls POTS--" (My emphasis) due to the fact that the author of this article seems to think that "POTS" is a somewhat new term, but one that has been around eons.

I like fibre.... way back, a buddy of mine moved to Cali, as a Sr. Eng. at a Fibre-to-the-Curb startup - they ended up getting bought by HP.

There are all sorts of new/ish Comm'n technologies that I like technically, but really hate to see rural areas dealt out of what used to be assured communication access.

That is funny about POTS..... kidz these days !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

The ConnectMe program which aims at expanding broadband service is paid for by service provider fees. We pay $4.43 on our $162.18 monthly cable (VOIP digital phone, basic TV pkg, 4 Meg/384 Kb internet) bill for this program.

We don't have cell service worth paying for at home. Someday I will join the 21st Century and get a Smart Phone. I fear I will will be too dumb to use it by the time that is possible. :laughing:

About ConnectME

Looks like that program is working Dave, the broadband access in your State seems to be moving in the right direction. The last 10% or so may take a while.

The issue I see with broadband is cost. Don't know if there is such a thing as low cost landline still down your way, but a pensioner (or, anybody else who doesn't need/want/or can't afford broadband) may end up being faced with a costly jump to go to broadband. You'd almost think there is an Agenda at play here .

IMO, your not missing much with a Smart Phone..... in many areas, if you want reliable emergency communication, getting a Ham Radio license can serve you as well, and in real disaster, much better.

Rgds, D.

 

[dave1949]

Cell service is geographically spotty here and not enough call revenue to attract enough cell towers to fix that. I can usually drive about 1-2 miles and find a signal.

It looks like basic land line service from Verizon runs $45 - $50 per month now. We have a land line coming to the house but only used it for about 6 months before switching to cable digital phone.

 

[charlz]

I was paying about $36/month for the $10/month 'basic' (no long distance) phone line after taxes and various fees. This was really just used to have my office phone forwarded to my house when I was working from home. Since converting to VOIP at work I ditched the line and use a VOIP phone at the house that takes over my station at work and, when I log into it at the house, IS my office phone as far as our phone system is concerned.

My internet is only $34.95/month with no other hidden fees, taxes etc. It not only does voice (VOIP) but everything else I use the internet for. It is mostly all texting these days anyway and with iMessage enabled on your Iphone it will use your wifi for texts if you are connected so you could possibly cut back on your cell carrier plan to save a few bucks.

 

[3930dave]

I was paying about $36/month for the $10/month 'basic' (no long distance) phone line after taxes and various fees. This was really just used to have my office phone forwarded to my house when I was working from home. Since converting to VOIP at work I ditched the line and use a VOIP phone at the house that takes over my station at work and, when I log into it at the house, IS my office phone as far as our phone system is concerned.

My internet is only $34.95/month with no other hidden fees, taxes etc. It not only does voice (VOIP) but everything else I use the internet for. It is mostly all texting these days anyway and with iMessage enabled on your Iphone it will use your wifi for texts if you are connected so you could possibly cut back on your cell carrier plan to save a few bucks.

That's a great rate for broadband, we don't see anything like that in this part of Canada. And, we always have a laundry list of fantasy charges added.....

The generic issues I have with VOIP are:

1) Is is easy to use, and can a non-technical user track down (and install/keep running) a low cost offering ?

2) How is your local power (meaning in your house) supplied/backed up to your VOIP handset, and related local hardware. How long can this backup run ?

3) Emerg locating. How is your physical address record handled, and is it up to date, or for that matter correct from the get-go ? There have been tragedies related to incorrect data.

I have little doubt that someone like yourself charlz, or many other DIY types on TBN here have these bases covered....... an average consumer that depended on POTS (w/o really knowing much about how it worked) to work seamlessly... not so much.

I personally use VOIP for outbound long-distance, but choose to maintain a landline (about $22, tax incl.).

Rgds, D.

 

[charlz]

That's a great rate for broadband, we don't see anything like that in this part of Canada. And, we always have a laundry list of fantasy charges added.....

The generic issues I have with VOIP are:

1) Is is easy to use, and can a non-technical user track down (and install/keep running) a low cost offering ?

2) How is your local power (meaning in your house) supplied/backed up to your VOIP handset, and related local hardware. How long can this backup run ?

3) Emerg locating. How is your physical address record handled, and is it up to date, or for that matter correct from the get-go ? There have been tragedies related to incorrect data.

I have little doubt that someone like yourself charlz, or many other DIY types on TBN here have these bases covered....... an average consumer that depended on POTS (w/o really knowing much about how it worked) to work seamlessly... not so much.

I personally use VOIP for outbound long-distance, but choose to maintain a landline (about $22, tax incl.).

Rgds, D.

For #1 and 2. I only use the VOIP for work and that is how it is provided (connection over the internet back to my companies phone system). If my power is out my computer is out so I would just go to work where we have backup generators. My primary home phone is cellphone.

For #3. Cellphone providers are now required to use E911. E911 is also what we use at work with our VOIP system. At work there is a separate system that tracks what phone #'s are where and if one of those phones dials 911 then the E911 information programmed into the system is provided. In this case E911 not only provides the building address but can also be programmed to provide what floor, office number etc. For cellphone providers they are now required to provide your latitude and longitude to within 300 meters when requested by an emergency call center.

I am not sure with internet based VOIP providers what their requirements are for 911/E911.

 

[therealmjfox]

I think in the end this is really just a continuation of the trend of the landline phone companies not wanting to provide service where it isn't the most profitable. They would love to leave the promise of universal service behind and stick to high profit urban areas. They've taken billions in subsidies and fees to provide universal broadband and now they don't want to deliver as discussed here: Telecoms take HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS for national broadband, but don't want to deliver (note you may not like dailykos, but the reason I linked to them is that the original story they linked to is behind a paywall and this is the only place to get the info without a paywall).

My phone company is CenturyLink, which was has been through a few iterations of owners and names but ultimately was spun off from Sprint so they could concentrate on higher profit wireless service. When the spinoff happened I was concerned that POTS company they basically dumped would wither on the vine with inadequate resources. But I've been pleasantly proven wrong, with no other business to fall back on CenturyLink appears to have committed to making the landline business work. I have my complaints and so do most people, but they did get broadband (albeit only 5M DSL) rolled out to a lot of people that Sprint had ignored, though they still have a ways to go to getting it completely rolled out around here.

Fiber is a distant dream here. It's really frustrating to see Centurylink upgrading their network in the towns and cities they serve that already have other alternatives, while not building out here where there is no alternative, but that's business I guess. When people I know who live in towns complain about Time Warner, I just wish we could get cable internet to complain about!