AT&T has officially requested that the Federal Communications Commission set a date to end requirements that mandate the operation of old land-line phone networks. Before the decommission, however, several significant problems must be ironed out.
The company's response came after the FCC sent out a Notice of Inquiry to study the likelihood of switching to an IP-based communications network in the next few years.
According to AT&T's statement "with each passing day, more and more communications services migrate to broadband and IP-based services, leaving the public switched telephone network ("PSTN") and plain-old telephone service ("POTS") as relics of a by-gone era."
Ideally, AT&T wants a "National Broadband Plan" to be approved, with its transition currently in progress.
Furthermore, "It makes no sense to require service providers to operate and maintain two distinct networks when technology and consumer preferences have made one of them increasingly obsolete."
The POTS phone system continually tries to add new services for subscribers, but with declining success as consumers look for new alternatives. Subscribers who make international calls can pay expensive rates through a POTS land-line, or use VoIP services for cheaper calling. The shift led AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and other companies to begin offering VoIP packages.
AT&T didn't list a specific deadline, so it's unknown when the telecom giant hopes to have the federal government pull the plug.
A land-line is nice to have in case of major emergency, as service normally continues even in the face of disaster. If power is knocked out by a strong storm, VoIP subscribers may no longer have service due to power issues. Many home security systems also require a land-line for operation.
Have you switched from POTS to VoIP phone service? Why or why not?
