[Asterisk-Users] Free WWT (WorldWideTelco): Utopia, or just a matter of organization?

[Kevin Walsh]

Marconi Rivello [marconirivello at gmail.com] wrote:
> I was thinking: we could build an Asterisk network, maybe go even
> further and make it P2P like skype (but I believe it's not necessary
> at the beginning), and every user would share it's phone line, and be
> able to place calls to PSTN through the other users' phone lines. So,
> I let Japanese people call my neighbours for free, and an Italian guy
> may let me use his phone, so he can use the Indian guy's phone...
> 
> In US, local calls are free. So it wouldn't be a problem to make such
> a network to get rid of long distance calls. But in other countries
> (like here in Brazil) local calls are charged. So there could be some
> king of billing (without commercial purposes, just to pay for the costs),
> or something... 
> 
What you're suggesting is possible, but has its drawbacks:

    1. A home user who has one phone line, and opens it up to the
       world for local calls, may find that the line is in use by a
       bunch of Brazilian people when he goes to use it, or tries to
       make an emergency call.

    2. Your phone line may be used to make crank calls, or to place
       fake pizza orders etc.

    3. A wide range of other issues that seem to have slipped my mind.

This sort of thing is best organised centrally, rather than by a
bunch of people opening up their phone system to the world.  A central
body would have control over who gets to use the service, and can
cancel a subscription, and take more effective action, if abuse is
proven.  A central body would also be better prepared to trace who
made that crank call.

Although it's a nice idea, it's not really practical, in my opinion.
That sort of setup is best left to companies who want to allow "local"
dialout from any office, rather than as a publicly-accessible effort.

Of course, if you want to open up your phone line then don't let me
stop you. :-)  You could persuade a bunch of people you know to do the
same, but I'd advise against opening up such a network to the unwashed
general public.

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