[Asterisk-biz] CLEC Pricing

[Matt]

Alright so let me ask what you guys would do in this situation.   We
are trying to do a VoIP startup.... here in the 570 area code there is
almost no VoIP service.    If we go with Verizon .. Verizon, being an
iLEC can't backhaul numbers to us the way cLECs can.. we would have to
have a system in every place Verizon co-los... not going to happen.

The cLEC we are working with now.. is dragging their feet (for over 5
months).  Some of you on this list will know which cLEC I'm talking
about, as we've talked about them on the phone and off list.   There
are at least 4 or 5 ISPs in Pennsylvania currently batteling with this
cLEC to allow VoIP to be used on their PRIs and to get DID blocks from
them.    The cLEC has given every argument in the book from 9-1-1
liability, to marketing, to never having done this before.. even
though they are currently working with a company called USA-DataNet...
 Additionally their own ISP (epix.net) says they are going to shortly
be rolling VoIP out.  This all smells very poorly of anti-competitive
behaviour... any thoughts?

At the moment, the only other option seems to be this other cLEC, but
they want to charge 5 cents a minute for outbound.   I suppose what I
could do is get a PRI from this other cLEC, use it for inbound and
DID, and use the outbound routing over a Verizon PRI.

I'm using an internet terminator for my long distance, but would
really like to terminate local minutes out my PRIs here at our NOC
(Why terminate them over the internet long distance?).