Voice-over-the-Internet will kill circuit switches …. eventually! Despite all the buzz around VoIP these days, many are finding that switching away from circuit switch technology is a nightmare. (This is not to be confused with greenfield deployments, which are relatively easy to pull off.) “There is a big difference that we are seeing in the ability to make voice-over-IP work in a lab environment and making voice-over-IP work in the field,” Mike O’Malley, Tellabs’ portfolio marketing manager told CED magazine. “It’s a big difference in terms of signal-to-noise ratio and other factors operating successfully in the lab than it is operating actually out on installed cable plant that has been out there for years and years.” Many small cable operators who are using circuit switches see no compelling economic reason to invest in VoIP as yet, and are playing the waiting game.
Ah, yes, always have to remember to turn off eXeem or Yahoo! Launch streaming videos when someone calls me on my Vonage phone. If high-quality phone service was absolutely critical for me, I can’t imagine moving away from landline. Plus, the Vonage/etc. offering isn’t that price-attractive, unless you’re spending lots and lots of time on international calls. Currently it costs $18 a month to have a landline in WA state, and Vonage’s cheapest plan is $15.