AT&T Yearns for the End of Traditional Landlines
AT&T Yearns for the End of Traditional Landlines
Posted 12/30/2009 at 6:12pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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The FCC recently requested comment on transitioning to a fully IP-based phone network to replace landlines. Apparently AT&T’s ears perked up upon hearing that. Good ol’ Ma Bell submitted a 32 page position to the FCC in support of the changeover. They requested the FCC eliminate the rules that require carriers to provide landline service and decide on a date to phase out the technology.
According to AT&T, the landline business is on a steep decline and is expensive for AT&T and other carriers to run. Between 2000 and 2008 the use of long distance minutes on landlines fell 42 percent. Revenues also fell 27 percent. Perhaps the best indicator that it’s time for a change is that less than one in five homes rely exclusively on landlines. AT&T asked for regulatory changes that would allow them to transition away from copper lines. Ma Bell also hinted that telecom regulations ought to be handled by the federal government and not states. While this may very well be the time to begin transitioning to new technology, AT&T provided no suggestions on how to serve those 20 percent of people that rely on landlines.
Do you think we’re ready to move away from the old, reliable copper phone line?
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Stockislander
December 31, 2009 at 11:01pm
Landlines don't charge for local or incoming long distance calls. Hmmm.
nekollx
January 04, 2010 at 11:19am
that's a problem...
AT&T: There's a [fee] for that.
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TimberWolf
December 30, 2009 at 11:52pm
From what i understand about this they want to remove Wirelines and the old POTS and start transitioning them to IP phones. Some day where going to have an almost entirely IP network.
reutnes
December 30, 2009 at 11:09pm
I personally use vonage VoIP for my home phone. There are people who have my cell number, and people who don't but have my home number. There's good reason for that.
TimberWolf
December 30, 2009 at 10:22pm
From what i understand about this they want to remove Wirelines and the old POTS and start transitioning them to IP phones. Some day where going to have an almost entirely IP network.
fry
December 30, 2009 at 10:15pm
"AT&T asked for regulatory changes that would allow them to
transition away from copper lines. Ma Bell also hinted that telecom
regulations ought to be handled by the federal government and not
states."No doubt. It's much more convenient to only have to buy off one set of politicians.
US_Ranger
December 30, 2009 at 9:54pm
I guess could rely on the postal service or the pony express to talk to my parents then. After all, they live in the middle of the suburbs in a town of 50,000 people and have never, in the 4 years we've had AT&T cell service, had a signal at their house. I managed to get a signal one time by climbing on the shed but it's too cold to do that now. Maybe AT&T could improve their coverage before they start talking about what they yearn for. I yearn for not having to buy a 200 dollar signal booster.
big_montana
December 31, 2009 at 9:35am
You are confusing AT&T the cellphone copmpany with AT&T the landline phone company. AT&T is not talking about transititioning to cellular tech but to VOIP, you know internet phone!!!! RIF, Evelyn Woods offers a course on it!
Ashton2091
December 30, 2009 at 7:20pm
This sounds like a good idea at first. I would like landlines to be replaced. But here is a delimma...landlines work without electricity. This could be the difference in a life or death situation. Except for those of you who use cordless phones, then your phone won't work without power. Not everyone has a cellphone. And not everyone can afford one.
shadowbluefox
December 30, 2009 at 9:03pm
Here is the thing with old phones the phone company's actually supply -48 volts so a phone works when the power goes out. During a power outage you still have a phone as long as it is not a cordless phone which draws power off the power grid. That is a regulation that a phone company still provides service in case of an emergency. With companies transition would basically cut the cost of power for telephone companies and the eqipment to keep everything running. There is still the problem being able to deliver service to everyone which is a requirement by law.
jlh304
December 30, 2009 at 8:17pm
Well POTS does use electricity, just not in the sense of the power company keeping your lights on. The old POTS network and the FCC have a lot to do with why our broadband is behind (Just look at the speed of a T1 vs an E1 although some of that is AT&T's fault). Don't forget we where pretty much first with the phones other countries got to leap frog over stuff.
To me FIOS is the right road. It works when the power dies (as long as the battery holds). The fiber has a very long lifespane ahead. Heck it makes sense from a business model to just have phone there but your really paying for tv and highband. That way the govt gets phone to everyone and the phone companies can still make money.
And yes it needs to be fiber all the way to the home and then at some point the home owners will get fiber put in but for now the twisted pair in the house will work. AT&T's method of fiber to the curb still leaves a gap that will have to be delt with soon or later (like they would have to some day lay fiber from the curb to your house and then later you do the inside of your house).
A very large porition of the federal govt is already on fiber. They are moving off POTS as we speak.
Sebie Kay
December 31, 2009 at 9:40am
Does anyone see a problem with the argument that 'relying on copper medium is to expensive'? After all, even if we go to a full blown IP structure which is run on Cable or DSL (lets just say it's all cable based...), you still have to have a physical medium (unless you want to endure the cost of covering the entire US with cell phone towers and just go wireless).
And even beyond that point, the IP based euipment we use now will have to be phased out (or some serious overhauling done), as IPv4 is being pushed to the max. We will HAVE to switch to IPv6 for full IP coverage. And guess what? We would still need physical medium, either copper or fiber. Both of which are expensive.
So, how does switching to IP based phone guarantee a better service for everyone? It doesn't. The only thing it does is take away lower-cost options for the consumer. In the end, big companies win, and the consumers who rely on POTS for phone service where there is no cell coverage or who don't want a 'high use package' (such as a senior citizen minding their own business) loose big time, as the cost of such an upgrade will be passed on to them.
That being said, with all of it's negatives, there are some positives. As jlh304 stated, fiber is the way to go. So, if we decide to go with this upgrade to VoIP, we need to use this chance to start running fiber. Replace copper with fiber, using up some of the 'stimulus money' that still hasn't been tapped. That way, we can accomplish faster internet speeds, VoIP, ditching copper lines, AND if we use some stimulus money, then we can keep the big companies from slamming customers with higher 'upgrade costs'.
Just my 2 cents!
Quakindude
December 30, 2009 at 6:31pm
No one pays 9.99 a minute to talk to Grandma....so quit exaggerating.
I'm sure AT&T and all the other companies would love to move away from copper based lines. It's expensive as all hell to maintain and repair. But if that's going to happen, then that 20% will have to pay a premium to keep their landline intact and I KNOW the Federal Gov't isn't going to go fully digital on their lines. So it's still way to early to move away from it.
Eventually, though, they will have good enough justification to move away from copper based comms. But if they do that, they should be FORCED to lower the prices for service for those of us who use their cell service. Lord knows cell towers are a lot less expensive to erect and maintain than copper for a given area and maybe then, I could get decent 3G service.
MaximumPC Moderator
***The views I express are my own and do not represent the views of MaximumPC Magazine or Future US.***
nekollx
December 30, 2009 at 6:25pm
No, sorry, but if At&T is champion it you know it only to serve their bottom line without providing services. How many calls do they drop, how often does 3g Crast, arent they STILL waiting to fix the SF bay disaster? And you want them to transition fully away from landlines? Sorry i don't feel like paying 9.99 a minute to talk to Grandma in my own house only for it to drop halfway.
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