Five Fundamentals for the Phone Network, Part 4: Network Reliability

Public Knowledge has proposed five fundamentals for the PSTN transition to an all-IP (Internet Protocol) phone network; this piece focuses on the fourth principle: the network still has to function reliably.

The phone system’s transition away from older TDM-based technology and toward the newer IP-based service is a welcome change. The network’s traditional technology is rapidly becoming obsolete and voice over IP (VoIP) has the potential to offer more efficient, higher quality service. That being said, phone companies absolutely cannot sacrifice network reliability for upgraded technology. From natural disasters to basic network mechanisms like distributing phone numbers, the phone network must continue to function with the complete reliability we expect today. How reliable the new network will be depends on the policy decisions we make now. The Federal Communications Commission has authority to ensure the reliability of the phone network and will need to guarantee an equal or better level of robustness during and after the transition to an all-IP system. Just as the upgraded phone network must work reliably in a natural disaster, we should also be assured that it works day to day.