The Analyst's Corner: Power to the people

There certainly was no lack of news this month about IP telephony.

In the enterprise space, Cisco announced enhancements to its AVVID product line centered around scalability–IP telephony for everyone, everywhere so long as you sit in an office behind a Cisco routed network. Avaya Communications (formerly Lucent’s Enterprise business) one-yupped them. New capabilities are available that enable its substantial installed base of Telephony server customers access to all, and not just some, calling features (450+ for most PBX vendors) via IP–IP Telephony, for everyone, everywhere including features users paid to have developed for them, and not just a limited set pure IP vendors are using their “best efforts” to support.

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In the wireless arena, Ericsson and Japan Telecom announced successful completion of the world’s first field trial of voice over IP over WCDMA. Behind the claims about “efficient transport of voice,” there was no reference as to when this might be commercialized in a phone somebody could afford and find desirable in terms of battery life and talk-time. Nevertheless, this is a portent of good things to come. It may well be the ultimate justification for the exorbitant prices being paid for 3G licenses. But, that is a topic for another day.

In the network services ballpark, the Cisco (again!) tie-up with Net2Phone, and the continuing success of ITXC of signing up carriers around the world, speaks to the fact that IP Telephony, e.g., VoIP services are our future. This was reconfirmed at the recent N+I show in Atlanta, where discussion was all about why voice application service provers (ASPs) are “the next big thing.” Lookout ILECs.

This got me to thinking. When will everyone have true IP phones as our primary instruments–at home, in-route or at the office, hard wired, wireless and soft? The attraction is irresistible long-term–a single, always-on, multiple media capability in the palm (excuse the reference) of my hand connected in native IP to the intelligent edges of the network that let me surf the web and make phones calls anywhere in the world, for as long as I like, for almost nothing. And, operators get an easy to manage network to feed me up, and bill, any value-added service my heart might desire. Nirvana the place, not the band, never sounds good.

Yet, before we’re totally enraptured, consider the following challenge. The trip from dialtone to multiple media cybertone has a little problem: POWER. You remember power. That nasty little thing that held up ISDN. The vexing “problem” behind fiber-to-the-home. Just add it to the list of things about why a funny little thing may happen on the way to the IP telephony everywhere party.

The great thing about dialtone is, well, dialtone. It is always on already. It is the reason why when servers go down, we can talk to the technicians trying to get the system back up. Voice is the most mission-critical application of all, because, come “Hell or High Water,” we can “Make the Call.” We are always, “Safe at First!”

The problem is IP telephones attach to, or soon will, things like: PCs, laptops, PBXs, key systems, routers, hubs, cordless phone base stations, cellular phone chargers, Bluetooth-enabled stuff, etc. Things that--and here is the kicker--“plug into the wall” (or need to be juiced up occasionally), and I don’t mean the RJ11 jack. Could I dump my regular phone for an IP phone from “IP Phones R’ Us .com” in the near future, and not worry about emergency situations? You could if:

• Your cell phone is charged up and you actually get a signal at your house. Unfortunately this is not an option for a large portion of the population.
• You have your own electric generator. An option unavailable to an even larger portions of the population.

Enterprises get around these issues through uninterruptible power supplies and back-up systems. However, there is always one analog telephone line with an old phone lying around somewhere. AT&T in providing telephony over its cable TV plant has been forced to provide battery packs for homes that take the service so at least they have lifeline communications capabilities.

Why worry about this now, you ask? The big reason is that it might not be a bad idea for the regulators to get out in front of a problem for a change. What a novel idea.

The New York PSC, for example, is giving Verizon until March 20001 to give DSL competitors the same access to its network elements as Verizon gives its own datacom subsidiary so that customers can order DSL service without also having to order a separate line for basic telephone services. With voice over DSL ready to roll, the probability of people having a DSL connection as their only one looms large. What the obligations of the regulated carrier are in providing lifeline service in this kind of environment become interesting, especially when they are the underlying facilities provider for other carriers.

The obligations of all parties concerned in a world where “(fill in the blank) powered networks” are the rule rather than the exception is not just a truth-in-advertising issue. Politicians, for instance, are likely to view it as a public safety concern when the first time a natural disaster in their district has people screaming instead of phoning.

Who will power the next generation of dialtone is not an issue that should be left to “market forces.” In fact, it would be grossly unfair to make this a problem that regulated service providers must resolve by themselves. Now, rather than later, is the time to deal with the issue. This is a local, as well as national, issue, and it cries out for attention at both levels.

Power to the People. Right On!
Peter Bernstein is President of infonautics Consulting, Ramsey, N.J. His e-mail address is pabernstein@worldnet.att.net.
This column originally appeared on the internetTelephony.com website.

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