[Asterisk-Users] Provisioning CO lines

[Mike Ciholas]

Hi all,

This is a NEWBIE question, so all you experienced types that are 
tired of stupid questions can move on...

I've pretty much given up trying to do my entire phone system 
over IP (including local service), so I have to select and 
provision my local CO lines.  I need about 10-12 lines which can 
be POTS lines, of course.  But, I thought, why not get something 
digital and expandable like a DS1, PRI, T1 or whatever they call 
it with 23 or 24 channels of 64 kbps voice.  It seems like it 
would be simpler for me to deal with this (and better quality) 
and it *should* be simpler for the phone company, too.

However, while everyone can sell me POTS lines, when I ask about
getting these in some sort of digital muxed interface, I seem to
confuse the providers.  In one case, I was able to get something
called "channelized T1" which cost a lot and did not actually
include the "phone" service for any of the channels, that was
additional.  So the cost to go from POTS lines to something
digital was extreme, so much more than I can't understand why
anyone would have T1 voice interfaces, yet all the PBXes have
this and it seems commonly used.  I must be doing this "wrong".

Okay, so I need help with:

1. Understanding terminology so I can ask for the "right thing".

2. Advice on when it is reasonable to go POTS versus something 
else and what that something else is.

3. Feedback on what others are doing with 10-12 lines in the US 
that may want to expand to ~20 lines.

4. Interfacing so many POTS lines to Asterisk.  I guess that
means an FXO channel bank to T1 card?  Kind of stupid to go
digital/analog/digital in the last 100 feet.

Help?

-- 
Mike Ciholas                            (812) 476-2721 voice
CIHOLAS Enterprises                     (812) 476-2881 fax
2626 Kotter Ave, Unit D                 mikec at ciholas.com
Evansville, IN 47715                    http://www.ciholas.com