A Telecommunications Revolution

What would it take to have a telecommunications revolution?According to Inc Magazine (Inc.com), Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) providers tops the list of best performing industries in the next decade followed closely by retirement / pension plans, and biotechnology.Best Performing Industries In The Coming Decade (2010-2019)1 – Voice Over Internet Protocol Providers (VoIP) – 149.6%2 – Retirement & Pension Plans – 133.7%3 – Biotechnology – 127.6%4 – e-Commerce & Online Auctions – 124.7%5 – Environmental Consulting – 120.3%6 – Video Games – 112.9%7 – Trusts & Estates – 105.7%8 – Search Engines – 100.9%9 – Recycling Facilities – 80.9%10 – Land Development – 72.7%.It is a given that VoIP is here to stay. Now, what is VoIP? It is actually, simply, using internet service to make a phone call. It is sometimes referred to as internet telephony or broadband telephony.Phone calls made using Voice over IP can actually be free, making VoIP a very attractive way to make phone calls. Generally, free phone calls are only available when internet services are used on both ends of the call. If a long distance call is made by someone through the internet to or from a traditional carrier such as Verizon, AT&T, or Qwest there is a charge applied. It all has to do with Inter-exchange carriers (IXC). We won’t go in to that.What does all that have to do with a telecommunications revolution? The key is the word long distance and someone. A telecommunications revolution could indeed take place if both were involved. To explain what is meant, what if you were to make a long distance phone call and a digital telephone pole (Google it) were used on the other end that would route the call through the internet and make it a local call even though it is actually a long distance call. The cost would then be minimal.These digital telephone poles would be placed in the homes of people in the same area code as where the calls are to be terminated. If these digital telephone poles were placed in the homes of people all across the country, you would indeed have a telecommunications revolution. You have just created a situation where the $12 billion dollar annually telecommunications Inter-exchange carrier industry has been brought down to the level of the “average Joe” in the homes of millions across the country – a telecommunications revolution.