http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/ Engadget Comments for AT&T asks FCC to phase out landline regulations http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 3:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Why are you writing this comment in every news post?]]>Dec 31st 2009 3:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
I'm not? I just went onto engadget for the first time today and checked the replies to a couple of today's posts to see if anyone else had inquired about this. In the posts I checked no one had asked, and since there's no real place I can comment about something like this I'm just choosing to do so in the most recent post, which is also beneficial because there weren't any comments when I posed my questions/opinion.

I hope that cleared things up. If you could point me to a post where someone else expressed this and got a response from engadget though I would appreciate that. Judging by your response to me it sounds like you've come across this. Thanks.]]>Dec 31st 2009 3:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/He is trying to say e-mail them. Don't post off topic often and then get snarky when you are called on it. ]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
I did email them. Also, can you please explain to me what was snarky about my previous comment? I was trying to be forthright and explanatory and respond to his/her misguided annoyance. I don't think my or anyone's comment should be taken for more than face value so I apologize if for some reason you interpreted that unfavorably. I'm just trying to get to the facts.]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Shut up, I'm trying to read other comments.]]>Dec 31st 2009 10:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
"Also, can you please explain to me what was snarky about my previous comment?"

You just have to understand that no one gives a shit about what you say on the internet; just like no one gives a shit about what I'm writing now. One you learn that, you won't post stupid things anymore. ]]>Dec 31st 2009 11:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/The engadget change allows news to linger longer on a page since it takes less room and more fits.
And if you are interested you can click the read link.
Doesn't seem all that insane to me.


]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/A missed trip for me equates to over 700 bucks and discipline of demerit points. A land line is a must for me. There are alot of other jobs that require a reliable connection. The FCC would be nuts to grant this.



]]>Dec 31st 2009 3:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
They aren't trying to get rid of "landlines" as the topic suggests. They want regulations for the Phone Service on said land lines to be dropped. They would rather use the lines for internet services such as VoIP and eliminate tons of hardware and facilities dedicated to just phone service which would lower their costs and hopefully the consumers as well.

They aren't trying to take your phone service away, they are trying to give you the technology to make it better.]]>Dec 31st 2009 7:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Well thank you for clearing that up cause I was under the impression that AT&T was pointlessly wasting money on something else other than improving their friggin 3G network.]]>Dec 31st 2009 10:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 10:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/It's still a bad idea, VOIP codecs are built to compress voice communications in a lossy way. So those of us in the IT world that use modems to remotely configure equipment would be SOL when all of our modems quit working.

The ironic part is I work for these guys and it's a requirement that our equipment have a POTS backup line. If a router goes down we can detect it, enter through the modem, fix the problem, and be out in less than 10 minutes; most of the time before the customer contacts us to tell us service is down. Compare that to a business critical enterprise losing their internet and VOIP connection to the net and having to wait for a tech to drive 2 hours to the site and connect with a laptop.

There is alot more crossing the backbone than just voice data. It's going to take some serious work replacing the infrastructure with devices that can provide analog like service through a compressed VOIP medium.]]>Dec 31st 2009 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 2:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
The whole point is to get rid of the switching. The wire will still be there. The way you access things will still be there. The way phone calls are handled will be completely different. Instead of phone calls being handled by a switch board it will be handled by servers. A 10,000sqft building filled with servers can probably do everything all the switchboards across the United States are doing.

VoIP is the way to go, and it's the way it's going to go. Especially with Fiber coming to more and more houses. As for lossy compression that is very minor and rarely noticed. The only time VoIP doesn't work right is when you are maxing your connections bandwidth in which you will have the "cell phone effect" where it goes in and out.

You'll still be able to run tests from a remote location provided there isn't a break in the line like it has always been. It's time to put the old technology down and start looking out to the new technologies that can make things simpler.

I mean you can fight it, but POTS is old technology. You should just give up and embrace the new tech. It's far superior, more realiable, and costs a lot less to operate.

Servers > Switchboards]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/No. You're reading things into this. They want to stop supporting switched telephone service on their network period. ATT is not a telephone company and has no control over the services they provide customers. The local telephone companies provide that service. What ATT wants to do is block access to those companies via voice switching because it's not as profitable as Internet service. This will leave people in rural areas in the dark because it's incredibly expensive to offer high speed Internet in rural areas and no company is actually going to do it without federal assistance.]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
You couldn't be more wrong. AT&T is a local telephone company in, what, 22 states?]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 7:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Dammit man... really?

Can you look yourself in the mirror (or incredibly glossy screen) and honestly admit saying "first" was necessary?]]>Dec 31st 2009 3:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 3:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
If you understood the issue, you would realize how stupid your statement is.]]>Dec 31st 2009 9:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Fax machines are old and outdated anyway... Its just as easy to scan it and email it as a pdf or image. If anything, the fax machine should use the internet, not a phone line.]]>Dec 31st 2009 9:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Not really. Internet fax has been around for awhile and is pretty easy to use. Its actually built in to windows 7 (Windows fax and scan) and I'm almost certain its in OS X as well.

While most companies do still use fax, switching over to internet fax won't be the end of the world.]]>Dec 31st 2009 10:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 2:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
at my job the copy machines can send faxes to traditional landline fax machines or email PDF's of the fax. It makes things way easier because I can remember someones email address, typically their name and their company, a lot easier than a fax number. plus it saves paper because every fax may not need to be printed. its cool]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 3:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 3:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 9:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
No they aren't replacing anything ATT doesn't provide any voice service. They are a long distance carrier. BTW this is ATT not ATT Wireless. Two different divisions.]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Um, that was true maybe in 2006. No longer. AT&T is an RBOC in 22 states and also has VoIP services.

"BTW this is ATT not ATT Wireless. Two different divisions."

AT&T Wireless, as an entity, no longer exists and hasn't for a long time. Their wireless stuff is now handled out of the Mobility organization, but it's all part of AT&T.]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 3:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
sigh..

"Is this real life?".....]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Faxing is easy, all you do is scan your document and either email it, or use a fax service that is offered such as Ring Central's. It's really not all that complicated. Besides the Fax machine is so dated and seriously just needs to be dropped and replaced by email. Stop living in the past and start reaching for the future.]]>Dec 31st 2009 7:56AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Regarding Faxes: Until Fax machines that connect directly to the Internet become ubiquitous, there still will be a need for twisted pair which offer an RJ-12 for the common fax machine.

The alternative of scanning and then attaching teh scanned document in an email is not as easy to do in an office environment where you have to send and receive many faxes in a day.

Fax technology was around for years until tehre was a critical mass of fax machines that made using them convenient. I do use rapidfax.com for receiving faxes, but until there are many fax machines which connect directly to routers (I know such a standard does exist) and are sold conveniently in OfficeMax and OfficeDepot, there still will be a need for twisted pair lines for fax machines.

]]>Dec 31st 2009 8:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
I think what you're talking about is a network printer. That's all a fax machine is. With old fax machines though, the network is point to point and really, really slow.]]>Dec 31st 2009 9:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 4:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Heh that would help too.]]>Dec 31st 2009 4:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
This has nothing to do with their cellular network. This is based purely on it's Internet Infrastructure, which in my experience is one of the best around. Could use a little more speed, but other than that it's great.]]>Dec 31st 2009 7:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 4:29AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Please learn to use periods. Your run-on sentences barely make sense, and your grammar sucks.

tl;dr:
lrn2grammar.]]>Dec 31st 2009 9:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/You talk like cell phones will be the only alternative... but there is also VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which could still technically be considered a "land line". If the government is really wanting broadband to every home then there is no reason to require phone operators to provide out-dated phone services AND broadband when they could focus on the broadband. The phone providers could then (hopefully) roll out broadband faster because they wont need to maintain their old equipment.]]>Dec 31st 2009 9:55AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
The Cell Towers only blacked out because everyone and their brother makes phone calls during power outages to see if someone else's power is out which puts unnecessary strain on towers.

And 3kW isn't a lot of power, nor is 300w. Your average hair dryer uses 1.5kW to dry your hair if that puts it in perspective for you.

Also, VoIP works on the same landlines as those your phones are hooked to, you are just eliminating switching hardware to transfer calls and doing it over the internet. The ISP will have battery backups and generators to keep your internet on, so if you set a battery backup of your own in your house say next to your VoIP phone you could still dial out, or for that matter hook the backup to your computer and cruise the internet for around an hour while you wait.

Or hell, I don't know, during that blackout maybe play a board game with your family by candle light instead of freaking out over a simple thing as a power loss. I would love to drop some of you people off in the 1800s and watch you commit suicide without your electricity and your indoor plumbing.]]>Dec 31st 2009 11:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 11:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
That relies on an ideal set up though. In Louisiana, having a power outage that lasts three or four days after a hurricane isn't unheard of. I doubt the battery backup would last that long, even on something as efficient as a modem.

Also, the last time we had an outage here, we had power before we had internet back. We have DSL, so it uses the same lines the phone lines do, but we had telephone service the entire time. If we were relying on VOIP, we would not have been able to communicate with anyone outside of text messaging. No one can call using cell phones since the towers were loaded, and the internet was down. What would we have done?

On another note, I don't know if this has changed any, but from what I was told when VOIP started becoming a big thing, 911 calls don't work the same way. If this is true (and I'll admit, I'm not sure), I definitely want to keep my traditional land line phones.

I'm sorry, but you won't get me to stand behind this. I personally believe that traditional land line phones are a necessity. Maybe not when things are "normal" but for when disaster strikes.]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
True in densely populated areas, but nobody wants to commit to this in rural areas. Putting in miles of new fiber to get 5 houses is not profitable and I don't see it getting done without federal assistance. The bottom line is until there is an alternative, you can't pull the plug.]]>Dec 31st 2009 2:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/Dec 31st 2009 4:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
Seriously though, AT&T can make a heck of a lot more money if everyone were on cell phones. Its just a money play. The government can help by cutting out all the tax and service fees they tack onto a landline bill. That would help a lot. I think mine was like 10 dollars before I even got to what I paid for the service. Landlines could compete then, they would be a lot cheaper and most people would rather have a Landline over VOIP service.]]>Dec 31st 2009 5:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/
I think more people would rather have VoIP if that majority actually knew what it was and what it is capable of, versus it's tied down pay-per-feature service. Why pay $30 for landline service plus internet at $60, when you can get a no-phone service internet for $60 and VoIP service on that same line with all those features for $10. $70 vs $90...I think in this economic climate, that $70 is going to be a little easier to swallow.]]>Dec 31st 2009 7:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/31/atandt-asks-fcc-to-phase-out-landline-regulations/I've had Vonage and Comcast VOIP. I prefer a landline. Not because of features, but because when my power goes out my phone still works. If Internet goes down my landline still works. If Landlines had all the same features at the same price as VOIP, I think most would prefer a Landline.]]>Dec 31st 2009 11:08PM