AOL is finally getting its VoIP act together, and is about to start beta testing its VoIP services, powered by Level 3. A poster on DSLReports forum posted this introductory email: “Thanks and congratulations! You have been successfully registered as an AOL VoIP Trial Enabled by Level 3 beta tester. 0 Please allow 5-7 business days for your VoIP trial service to be provisioned and to receive your welcome kit. Your welcome kit will arrive via Federal Express.” I have been saying this for the longest time. AOL, MSN and others can basically ride their IM fame to VoIP domination. However, these guys have been slow starters, and even now they are playing with traditional VoIP model. I think if America Online Voice Enables all users of AOL IM and offers free phone service ala Skype for its AOL for Broadband users, the company could really have a megahit on its hands, and actually be able to overcome its current “subscriber loss” problems. Of course any such move would mean, well my options could be worth something. (See I work for Business 2.0 which is owned by Time Warner, which also owns AOL!)
when will VONAGE figure out “””YOU MUST RIDE LEVEL3 to get Quality of NETWORK””????????????
seems MOST are coming to the “””Level3 Inside Model of VOIP”””
Skibare
How does “Level3 Inside Model” really work? In all likelyhood both the end-points are on public Internet. So, Level3 must have presence globally and VoIP service provider must force media traffic to go through Level3 POPs. Isn’t this akin to what happens in circuit switching? If so, can the cost advantage be maintained?
I am all confused: one day we are told that public Internet is good enough to carry “better than PSTN quality voice” (Skype); another day we are told we have to have managed network. Even so, how do we maintain quality in the tails?