VoIP is continuing to ramp here in the USA, but also expected to grow around the world as more and more access providers get into the game, and as both bundling and unbundling options appear on the scene.
All this leads to the need for real standards to be maintained and followed, QoS and SLA’s to be more evident, peering relationships for Voice traffic to happen and most of all, for interoperability between all the voice layers to really come to be.
Andy –
I agree 100% with your point that a) VoIP is going to do nothing but continue to grow and b) that for “real” VoIP growth to happen that SLA’s and QoS are needed. Doesn’t that lead us down the slippery slope of a two-tier Internet and leave the neutral network behind? QoS by it’s very definition is tagging specific traffic and prioritizing it above others. I, for one, don’t have a real problem with someone being charged a premium for their product to be delivered in a premium fashion. Imagine a new TV network that doesn’t want to go over the air or cable but instead wants to do a raw broadcast over the internet in real time – not feeds that you download. This network would love the ability to have a non-neutral network, to have their content get QoS delivery that guarantees a better customer experience….and they could very well charge the end user for that as well, we are already used to paying for cable TV and even satellite radio now. The crux of the issue is that we need a neutral third party to run the network, BellSouth can’t be allowed to tamper with Comcast content, or the other way around, or any other nasty combination that you can think of. This is where a fiber to the home play that is run by a metropolitan authority, by a utility, could be a very interesting play. In the end it’s the last mile that REALLY requires the management and massaging, running over the backbone is a much easier game to play. I’m sure that I’ll get flamed for such heritcal statements but I think that if cooler minds prevail and stop to really think about it that there are some interesting plays that can make this happen…..
rob