[enum-wg] Meanwhile back in good ol' Germany

> I doubt that an incumbent (generally meaning the former 
> state-controlled
> monopolist) will technologically help his competitors while he is 
> trying to
> buy time and get his own VoIP-rollout ready for service.

I doubt this as well. It does not mean they will survive by (not) doing 
it,  right?

> He will cannibalize his own income if that (reduced) income stays in 
> his own
> pocket.
> He won't (voluntarily) help put that income into other peoples' 
> pockets.
> That's not cannibalization, that's voluntary starvation.

Yes and at day X you see on CNN company Y laid off without warning 3000 
people. Why? Because they did not see it coming or they were to slow in 
adjusting to the reality.

> And that contradicts the will to survive.

It does, there are always winners and losers

>> On the other hand are special prefixes for VoIP truly a step forward
>> for
>> VoIP services?
>
> -Yes, one problem with VoIP only numbers is that the caller network 
> must
> -know if 1) called number is allocated and 2) where the called number 
> is
> -to be found  VoIP/PSTN. This is critical in order to avoid routing
> -loops. Having ENUM void service and dedicated area code for IP only
> -solve this problems.
>
> That is not convergence. True convergence must mean not only
> convergence of networks but also of naming and adressing space.
> It should not matter to the caller where the target destination is
> located. If I use a VoIP channel or a POTS line is my problem and
> I should pick a service operator that offers seamless access from
> both networks. That should not be the problem of the caller.

Convergence can mean a lot of different things whether you look at the 
OSI stack or business models. At this moment convergence practically 
means only that Internet and PSTN can at least carry the same voice 
service and interop together. After this step is done the real 
"convergence" will probably start happening.

>> Or are we being misled to develop our own subculture
>> on the net and let ourselves become marginalized instead of truly
>> converging the networks which in the ultimate consequence must mean
>> using geographical "normal" teleophone numbers for VoIP services.
>> Which also means seamless transitions between networks (IP and telco).
>
> -Convergence means you have to start somewhere in a non disruptive way
> -and find a smooth migration path. All who started with dedicated
> -prefixes have achieved critical mass of VoIP subscribers the rest are
> -still busy with debates.
>
> And at the moment I see none in Germany and know of none in Europe
> that have anything worth being called a critical mass, economically
> speaking.

Because of the same regulatory issues pointed out earlier

> I mean the so-called debates on the above mentioned subjects are 
> diversions.
> They are intended to stall the new VoIP kids on the block for time 
> while the
> major players prepare their rollout and complete their testbeds

Could be, but incompetence scores far more often compared to big 
brother "conspirations"