IP Convergence: Beyond VoIP, Beyond Cost Savings

Morally and philisophically I'm fairly in alignment with the OfCom findings, I don't think I'd give my read of the document as much lean towards let the cards fly as you do though =). I'm just not sure our industry can be trusted to deliver what is in the best interests of the customer and not bottom line. Availability of emergency services, and education of the general public on real consequences of the technological changes are primary themes in the document. I've had the not quite so fullfilling experience on several occasion of trying to explain the differences between VoIP and POTS to someone in the typical post 50 age group, covering technological and generational gaps is not an easy process.

There is a certain level of safety we've been programmed to expect from our current network. If we put the general "damn telephone company" style bitching to the side for a bit, overall the consumer endpoint has been extremely reliable, dependable, and probably taken for granted during events and emergencies. Years of engineering work in the problem space have brought us to the best point possible based on the start year of the technology, we cannot afford to forget what we've learned.

If you take your favorite mass emergency event from 5 years ago  (that would be ice storms for us in upstate new york) and apply it today where some significant portion of the consumer endpoints have migrated to a a cellular or packet voice service as their only comm channel; bad things get worse. Instead of being able to call the power company to check status, or call for emergency services, you are now effectivly cut off.  Alone during stressful times is not one of the things we humans are good at, I think panicy and stupid probably cover the real outcome.

I'm well aware that FUD has been spread here on both sides of the argument (batteries in SLCS go dead, fuel doesn't get delivered to COs, and _some_ cellular providers are much better then others about provisioning generator equipment), but I think the overall consumer picture is correct. When you use your service in an emergency, you expect "dialtone" and you expect someone to pick up at the other end. While we're on the subject, whichever morally lacking imp over at time warner who came up with the "but my cordless phone doesn't work when the power is out" commercials should be taken out back and shot repeatedly.

So back to my main point, signing a document from your provider that says you understand the issues with the new technologies is crap. When it comes to the technology being deployed and it's real consequences, 99+% of the population are really the equivalent of minors in that respect, signing something probably written in legaleze,  on a sunny day when emergencies are the last thing on their mind. It is not a morally defendable positiion for us as an industry to allow this type of thing to happen.

I think service providers as a group can go a long way towards fixing some of the problems by mirroring some of the infrastructure that supports our current POTS networks. Power considerations can be covered by a direct copy of the thorough battery/generator coverage that we normally find in telco networks, but we can also go further. Alternate power sources such as solar/wind to remove "grid" dependancies, and pushing companies to reduce overall power use to make what we have go further are all probably going to be required. On the network front we have many new wireless technologies being implemented that can be used for access as well as backhaul. Combining the greater area coverage of wireless technologies with queing strategies can keep peoples comms working even with severely reduced capacity (sound familiar), keeping them informed and increasing safety..

From my point of view fixing the infrastructure and tech is probably the easy part. It will take an enormous amount of effort to educate the general population to the point where they can make an educated choice about these types of services. The wording in the documents about not replacing primary service as a reason around this rings untrue. My cable and cellular providers aren't calling me to suppliment my basic service, they are calling me to own me outright.

It boils down to embracing the heritage of engineering we have in the current network, we need to do the right thing at all times which is to protect public safety first, profit second.

-pee