[EMAIL PROTECTED] ("Jay R. Ashworth") writes:
> There are, as I implied in another post, many unobvious end-to-end
> systemic characteristics that make the PSTN the PSTN that Internet
> Telephony isn't going to be able to fulfill for some time, if ever, due
> to the differing fundamental engineering assumptions that underly it.
i, as a user, only use the PSTN for its reach, not any of its differing
fundamental engineering assumptions, most of which i'd challenge if i
cared, but i don't care. internet-as-disintermediator means clearchannel
can't prevent podcasting, newspapers can't prevent online auctions and
online news websites, politicians can't prevent bloggers, and sears can't
prevent amazon... but as long as we have the FCC and NANP and an
investment-protection policy, PSTN *can* prevent voip, and they'll use
selective enforcement of 911 as one of the tools to do so.
which is why i predict that we'll see more computers doing voice, using
domain names rather than "phone numbers" for rendezvous.
(speaking of amazon, i found that usb headsets are down to ~$34.94 now. yay!)
--
Paul Vixie
