Tom Walton sez:
The most troubling thing to me about the ION plan is that it
seems to revolve around the idea of using LEC local loops to
deliver service to home customers. The LECs are not going to
be enthusiastic about providing an unbundled loop to
facilitate being cut out of their long-distance termination
fees. This could be a very slow roll for Sprint.
Count on SPRINT being their own CLEC; why would they give
away the gravy?
This problem will not become acute until they begin
deploying residential service, as many/most business
customers (the initial targets) will be "on-net" with CLECS
who are already interconnected with Sprint. It might be that
Sprint is hoping/praying for regulatory/statutory
intercession before they try to penetrate the residential
market en masse.
True. Sprint's legal muscle [irony; it's MCI that was oft-called
"The law firm with the antenna on top" not Sprint] may help
pry entry into COLO space in/near CO's, but that is far from a
universal solution. What about SLC[tm-Lucent]'ed lines, real copper
loops too long to be viable [know of several 40Kft ISDN loops],
offices with no COLO space, etc.
(And even when successful, that means a COLO cage in every CO in the
country....)
And *will* businesses want to go to all-metered calling? Outside
of NYC, Chicago, Gnu Joisy, Califunny {and any I don't know of..},
most US business POTS is flat rate or per-call, not per minute|bit.
So they'll split the difference; using Least Cost Routing to try
and guess which way is better. Buy PBX stock, and count on the
ILEC's fighting this tooth and nail, down to the last T-75 staple
and pole spike.
I love the telecommunications business...
Amem, Brother....
