[asterisk-ss7] telco bypass feasibility

[telecomtom at vedatel.com]

greetings ss7 users,

question(s): can anyone on this list refer me to articles or feasibility
studies on the use of SS7 products that enable organizations
(medium-to-large companies, colleges, small villages and other
municipalities) to connect their voip networks directly to the PSTN
without having to be telco customer? I've heard that telco bypass is done
in countries outside the US. Is there a technical or legal reason for
that? Can it be done in the US? Which products from companies like digium
and sangoma enable telco bypass, and what general architectures are these
products found in?

background: i'm preparing a feasibility study on telco bypass. i'm
studying two books: travis russell's "Signaling System #7" and Frank
Ohrtman's "Softswitch: Architecture for VoIP". besides being a solution to
insomnia (the reading is so intense it tends to make one fall asleep!),
these books have opened my eyes to a world of possibilities. but what is
possible is not always feasible, so i'm posting to this list.

-- TIA, TT