[LINK] Naked ADSL and dumping the voiceline

[Richard Chirgwin]

On 1/11/10 10:11 PM, Kim Holburn wrote:
> On 2010/Nov/01, at 9:53 PM, Roger Clarke wrote:
>
>> At 19:24 +1000 1/11/10, Rick Welykochy wrote:
>>> Perhaps this has been discussed before. I'm considering dumping the
>>> voice line, keeping the land line and adding VoiP to the mix.
>>>
>>> A few questions arise.
>> Great start, but please add some more questions:
>> -   what number(s) can you get for people to call you on?
> I got a number with two lines from my VOIP company who happens to be my ISP.  I assume each VOIP company buys some numbers from some shadowy government organisation which controls phone numbers (ACMA?).  My number appears to be in Canberra where I live but I could probably get one that appears to be anywhere in Australia and if I went with an overseas company somewhere overseas.  I could have several numbers if I wanted.
Rick - you need an inbound number, so the VoIP provider has to offer 
inbound dialling. There's nothing too "shadowy" getting the numbers from 
ACMA. Many providers are too small to buy their own number blocks, so 
they're buying a wholesale service from somewhere.
>> -   what number(s) are displayable when you call someone?
> It appears to everyone just like a normal number.
It depends on your provider. Internode's Nodefone (the example I'm 
familiar with, not the only one!) uses a "real" number which is 
displayed as your caller ID.
>> -   can you keep any of the numbers associated with lines you dump?
> I don't believe you can but I could be wrong.
You can, if the number is portable; if the VoIP provider supports number 
portability.
>>      [Declaration:  I have one line purely for ADSL, two for voice,
>>      (but no mobile-phone) - 'bout time I rationalised, right?!!]
>>
>> And, switching from the personal to the policy level:
>> -   what constraints on number-choice are inherent in technology?
>> -   what constraints on number-choice are reasonable transitional
>>      arrangements from POTS to whatever-we-call-the-next-future?
>> -   what should we be saying to ACMA's review?
> I've been thinking about this and have no idea.  It's nice and we're all used to having geographic numbers.  Perhaps we could have a group of VOIP numbers.  05, 06, 09? It's be nice to have free calls between VOIP providers but eventually when there are few POTS phones how will they make money?
>
>>> * what device can I then connect to the naked line to give my current
>>>    (simple residential) telephone equipment full POTS connectivity?
1. The usual approach is an analogue telephone adapter (ATA) that you 
can plug the old phone into.
2. If you run your own VoIP server you can use a LAN phone instead. (But 
no matter how many times I read bromides about Asterisk being easy, it's 
a right pain in the neck if anything goes wrong).
3. You need a VoIP provider that offers PSTN termination.

>>> * there obviously must be some POTS gateway/interface in the mix?
Yes - at the VoIP provider.
>>> * does the switch to naked ADSL affect my internet data connection,
>>>    modem or PC in any way?
>>>
>>> * do I pay anything for the naked line?
Yes - bundled in your ADSL service. Rather, your ISP pays for the line 
as a wholesale purchase.
>>> * who maintains the naked line?
Telstra by arrangement with the ISP.
>>> * and the big question: would my only ongoing cost for VoiP then
>>>    be the bandwidth I use over the ADSL?
No: PSTN calls still cost money. Only VoIP-to-VoIP is free (plus, of 
course, what's in your bundle).

RC
>>> i.e. this is a cost reduction exercise. Quite applicable to a move
>>> to FTTH if that ever happens where I live :)
>> -- 
>> Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
>>
>> Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
>>                     Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
>> mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/
>>
>> Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law&  Policy Centre      Uni of NSW
>> Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University
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