[Asterisk-Users] VOIP gateway (H323 to PSTN) for Calgary ? (and terminolgy question).

[Kim Lux]

I'm setting up an asterisk system between a couple locations.  

Questions: 

a) What is the correct term for for a connection with a "phone company"
where by we connect to them via H323 and they connect us to PSTN,
allowing us to make PSTN calls and allowing others to call us via PSTN ?
I've called it a VOIP gateway or DIDs, but both of these terms confuse
the phone company reps.  

b) Does anyone know of a supplier of VOIP gateways for area code 403
(southern Alberta) whereby we don't get a per minute charge for local
calls and we could possibly keep our existing phone numbers ?

BTW: I've found that certain phone companies will connect Nortel PBXs to
their system via H323 IF you buy the Nortel PBX from them.  I've found
that they don't know anything about asterisk and are reluctant to let
anyone connect their own asterisk system into their network even though
they will connect said PBXs that way.

Although I haven't completed our asterisk installation yet, the biggest
hurdle seems to be getting the VOIP to PSTN connection.       

Thanks    

-- 
Kim Lux,  Diesel Research Inc.