A few days ago, I shared an article arguing that the cloud was great for UCaaS, but for traditional class 5 deployments, an on-site switch was generally a better option. One of our long-time readers wrote back to me with an interesting question (slightly edited for confidentiality): This is a great question, so I figured… Continue Reading
Network Evolution
The FCC Suggests Removing TDM Tandems
At Award Consulting, part of our mission is to be your guide through the ever-evolving telecom landscape. While the issue we’re discussing today isn’t critical just yet, we believe it’s important to keep you in the loop – and we’ll continue to share updates about this issue as the situation evolves in the future. If… Continue Reading
Why the Cloud is Great for UCaaS — But Not for Class 5
There’s no denying it: cloud-based software has changed everything. We expect our tools to update automatically, to work from anywhere, and to constantly improve without needing an IT department. Whether it’s Netflix updating your watch list, or your accounting software rolling out new tax forms, we’ve come to expect agility, flexibility, and rapid innovation —… Continue Reading
Metaswitch is boring
Have you ever been on a really exciting plane flight? Unless you happen to sit next to a celebrity, my guess is that most of us don’t want our flights to be exciting. When you’re in a metal box weighing 150,000lbs, which is mysteriously floating 30,000 feet above the earth, you want boring. You want… Continue Reading
NG911 Phase 2: What It Means for Your Voice Network
If you’ve worked in telecom for more than a few years, you probably have muscle memory around how 911 works. A subscriber dials 911, your Class 5 switch routes the call to the selective router, the PSAP gets the ANI, and then the ALI database is queried to find the caller’s street address. It’s been… Continue Reading
SIP Trunking vs. Traditional TDM: What Works Best in Rural Networks?
As a kid, I spent a fair few hours playing Railroad Tycoon — a computer game that let you build vast empires of iron and steam, laying tracks across the country and connecting towns with your shiny new trains. There was something deeply satisfying about designing the routes, picking the locomotives, and watching your empire… Continue Reading