VoIP Door Closing

AT&T Targets Biz IP Telephony http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id= 102248 Qwest launches Biz VoIP services tomorrow (I have training at 11 AM) Yak Positioned To Take A Bite Out Of VoIP ------------------------------------- AT&T Corp. on Wednesday announced it has expanded Internet-based phone service to 10 states, bringing to 72 the number of the markets where AT&T CallVantage is available. AT&T, the biggest long-distance phone company, has pledged to provide consumers Internet-based phone service in 100 markets by the end of September. The Bedminster, N.J., company provides AT&T CallVantage in 22 states. AT&T has expanded service to Washington D.C.; Wilmington, Del.; Indianapolis and Muncie, Ind.; Kansas City, Kan.; Baltimore; Minneapolis/St Paul; St. Louis; Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, N.C.; Omaha, Neb.; Allentown and Philadelphia, Pa.; and Chattanooga, Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn. The phone company also has introduced Internet-based service in Jersey City, Monmouth, and Trenton, N.J.; and Albany, Buffalo, Glens Falls, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica-Rome, N.Y. -------------------------------------- Despite past suspicion of VOIP services, even the United States Telecom Association, or USTA, now favors mostly unregulated VOIP. Why? Because incumbent phone companies are getting into the VOIP business themselves, and don't want to live under the kind of rules they face in the heavily regulated traditional phone business. ------------------------------------------------------- AT&T Plans Further Consumer Market Exit June 30, 2004 AT&T is planning an even broader retrenchment in the consumer phone business, on the heels of last week's announcement that it would stop marketing residential local and long-distance service in seven states, according to people familiar with the matter. The long-distance carrier has begun notifying companies that provide it with marketing services, such as call centers, that it won't be needing them, or will be sharply reducing the services it buys, these people said. Accenture is one of the outsourcing vendors that has been informed of a cutback. AT&T's decision comes in the wake of a regulatory setback that will increase its costs for providing most of the local phone service it sells along with long distance. An appeals court struck down the rules that govern what AT&T and other companies pay to rent lines from the regional Bell carriers that own the lines reaching into most homes. AT&T has made the first move, saying that it would no longer spend resources marketing local service in seven states, and indicated that other withdrawals could follow. People familiar with the matter said MCI is also considering exiting the consumer business altogether. The companies, the Bells' largest competitors, wouldn't cut off existing customers, but in a harshly competitive phone market, analysts say choking off sales and promotional efforts would probably lead to quick customer desertions. The consumer phone business has been in steep decline for years, as consumers increasingly turn to cellphones and local carriers for long distance. Reported by The Wall Street Journal. http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/article/articleDetail.jsp?id= 102127 ---------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think they will replace UNE-P with? What are you doing to take advantage of this? I have two programs available. Give me a call. Thank you. Regards, Peter RAD-INFO, Inc. - NSP Strategist 813.964.5546 fax 305.675.6494 http://4isps.com & http://rad-info.net