[Asterisk-Users] VoIP dialtone?

[Bruce Ferrell]

Fidonet for phones!  Great idea!

And I'm serious about that

Dan Austin wrote:
> This idea has been floating around in my head.  I don't think the
> needed 'critical mass' has been reached, but I suspect at some
> point a co-op style arrangement could be reached.
> 
> disclaimer:
> 	I have played with *, and am deploying Cisco Call Manager.
> I don't see any technical reason why the following would not work,
> but it is open for abuse, so there may be enough socio-political
> reasons to not even try.
> 
> Ingredients:
> 	1.  A * server
> 	2.  A friend with an * server in another city/state/country
> 	3.  A way to locate like minded individuals/orginizations
> 	4.  Moderately over-built local PSTN connectivity
> 
> 	Mix it together with a gentlemans agreement, or strongly
> worded contract.  Co-ordinate or advertise local number ranges.
> 
> 
> Problems:
> 	People looking to save ~$30 per line won't be thrilled to
> order T1(s) to share with the co-op.
> 	Keeping a structured dial-plan to provide for reasonable
> overlap without massive meltdowns.
> 	There are many businesses springing up to fill this void,
> and they will be better suited to manage and grow the infrastructure.
> 	
> I've watched the discussions about IAX/SIP service providers, and
> most seem to be geared exclusively to the single user/line household.
> I know a number of small businesses that would jump to a VoIP carrier
> that allowed concurrent calls, heck my family has one.  And I suspect
> that a number of the smaller/newer VoIP carriers might be entertaining
> partnerships with their competitors whose footprint compliments their
> own.
> 
> Oh, and let's not forget that the traditional carriers are not ignorant
> of what is happening with VoIP or customer interest.  There is no doubt
> that they are aware that if they don't find a way to deliver this service,
> someone else will.
> 
> Dan (who, if he had a decent PSTN connected * box, would be willing to share)
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Ciholas [mailto:mikec at ciholas.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 3:42 PM
> To: Ernest W. Lessenger
> Cc: asterisk-users at lists.digium.com
> Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] VoIP dialtone?
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, 20 Aug 2003, Ernest W. Lessenger wrote:
> 
> 
>>At 04:48 PM 8/20/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Now, if that is possible, how does the VoIP dial tone provider
>>>get my inbound local and toll calls?  I would want my "local"
>>>phone number to work, of course.
>>
>>You would need to redirect your local number to them. This
>>ALWAYS assumes that the VoIP provider has a switch in your
>>local CO or an agreement with someone who does. Vonage and
>>Voicepulse, for example, do not have a presence in my area. I
>>intend to maintain several POTS lines for incoming calls, and
>>use a VoIP provider for all outgoing calls.
> 
> 
> Oh well.  I'm would expect no one would have presence here.  
> This sounds so suboptimal, you have to provision *two* systems,
> one for inbound (local CO) and one for outbound (VoIP provider).  
> Of course, the outbound can be just your internet connection, but 
> this still seems annoying because most of the money is in the 
> local CO service.
> 
> Hmm, perhaps *all* incoming calls can be toll free?  I would
> maintain the one local CO POTS line for 911 out bound, and then
> only use my toll free number for inbound.  For the money I would
> save on local CO lines I can buy a *lot* of toll free minutes!  
> Then the VoIP dial tone provider can route my toll free number to
> me over the internet.  Presumably, then, there is no real limit
> on the number of "lines" coming in.  It isn't hard coded like the
> CO lines are.
> 
> This all seems pretty fanciful at the moment...
>