mm wrote:


So that's why it would matter! Isn't it obvious that most people (all
people?) want to pay less for something if it is just as good. If I
have a temporary need for FIOS for tv or internet, I shouldn't allow
them to trick me (by meanss of some bundle or package the consequences
of which I don't understand) into FIOS for phone if that means that I
won't be able to go back to copper phone. Or if I have a permanent
need for high speed, it means that if I move out and rent or sell my
house, I will either have to hide this from a prospective renter (and
antagonize him in the process) or buyer, or I'll have to tell him and
risk losing the rental or sale when he finds out he'll have to pay for
FIOS, and that without paying an electrician can never get anything
cheaper, even though the people next door on both sides of him are
paying a lot less for phone.


I seriously doubt anyone would even think twice about how the
phone/data/TV service arrived into their apartment or house. I don't
understand what you mean "pay for FiOS". Wouldn't they need to "pay for
cable" or "pay for phone service" if they wanted it regardless of the
provider?

but if they don't do it they will be out of business. The cable

That's not going to be for years and it's speculation in that there
are lots of ways to make money. For example, by advertising or by
normal demand they might get everyone to want FIOS, so that few or
none want to move backwards. Although I still have a dial phone
connected, I don't object to them taking out dial-capabilities now, or
even 10 years ago if it costs more than a trivial amount of money to
maintain.

You are completely missing the big picture. You have to plan far out
into the future for this kind of stuff. The phone company can't simply
sit on its hands and then one day wake up and realize that they lost 85%
of their customers to the cable companies. My buddy works for one of the
big cable companies and they can't even come close to addressing the
demand for their phone service. And the cable company install is about
5% (or less) of the complexity of a FiOS install.



As to going out of business, that's their problem a lot more than it
is my problem. As long as they sell the cheap, original version of
phone service, then people should know and protect themselves from
company policies. Where this applies, everyone should realize that
their intention will be to remove the copper if they put in FIOS for
everything.that's what I'm going to buy, and and if putting in FIOS
will cause them to

Maybe this policy should be regulated by law. Don't forget that the
phone company is a public utility. Don't let conservatives convince
you that nothing should be regulated. If they had their way, some
would want to remove all the building codes and let people build
anything they wanted, regardless of the fires, disease, and collapses
that resulted.

companies are deploying VoIP and essentially becoming phone companies.

Not removing copper doesn't change the equation. If FIOS is a better
product, enough people will want it that the phone company will do
fine.

If VOIP is better (which aiui, it's not) why is wrong if it wins?

You may not realize it but you are using VoIP pretty much every time you
use your telephone that is connected via copper lines. Pretty much all
signaling after the CO and sometimes before is digital.



Since they can do it over their existing cable plant they can offer it
for a lower cost because they don't need to install a new cable system
to do it. So it doesn't cost them a lot to become a competitive phone
service provider. If the phone companies don't respond with similar
bundled services they need to prepare for eventual shutdown.

That is their problem. I don't have to subvert my interests to
promote them.


Obviously it is their problem. If they don't promote FiOS and loose most
of their customers how much do you think a plain copper line might cost?
I think it might be quite expensive if only 10% of the people on a block
have one .


mm
the case of DSL you are buying broadband data. Why would it matter to
you if it came via DSL on copper or over fiber?
I think DSL probably works better on fiber, but there wouldn't be any
improvement for voice phone calls.

If fios isn't more expensive, there is still the bit about power
failures. Why would one want to have to have a UPS to power fios,
even if it worked, when a copper wired phone requires no electicity
except what the phone company provides? It's nice when the power is
out and you can't watch tv and your UPS isn't big enough to spend more
than 10 minutes on the computer, to talk on the phone all night.