Installation challenges have made it elusive for SMBs to achieve the goals of converging networks, transitioning businesses into the cloud, or even implement premise-based solutions with cost cutting efforts utilizing SIP trunks and hosted services.
Some of the recurring roadblocks aren't restricted to the Washington, DC metro area that we serve. In fact, challenges or barriers to entry seem consistent in other areas of the country too.
Policy
The FCC perceives the definition of "high speed Internet" as something that may not sit well with at least those attempting to sell and then install and service IP telephony solutions. The policy defining what is deemed "high speed Internet service objective" is: the National Broadband Availability Target of 4 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload."
Not only is 4Mbps/1Mbps limited, this objective misses the mark in adequately supporting VoIP or converged voice and data over the Internet for small businesses with 2 or more POTS lines.
Access
Access to adequate Internet services that support moving all traffic over the medium simply isn't available everywhere or consistently with adequate bandwidth. Then, access to the Internet is often affected by time-of-day when broadband coax video/TV services are competing with bandwidth demands for Internet access. Coupled with service-affecting outages, these Internet users may end up high and dry when it comes to VoIP services. So the quality of access does matter.
Location
Businesses and offices don't always have internal infrastructure that will support an all-IP solution. Georgetown in the District of Columbia houses scores of businesses, and the nature of the construction and how much the business owner is willing or not willing to spend on improving their infrastructure often dictates the telephony and network solutions adopted. Then, when plaster walls and historic buildings are expensive to re-wire and modernize, the payoff to converge services may fall short if affordable and reliable broadband services are not available.
Policy doesn't fix or even prepare the nation for realizing an all-digital network. Instead, the existing policy lowers expectations and continues to empower providers to charge for and control bandwidth and usage with price points that may discourage convergence. Access to reliable, affordable and adequate service will remain key, and ignoring the benefits of an all-fiber-network or mostly-fiber network I think will be detrimental to national security and may stifle commerce and hinder the adoption of convergence.
"Location, location, location" is an old real estate adage, but it can't be ignored when a business location lacks access to Internet services that are reliable and affordable.
Whatever the political swings are today or tomorrow, the network--the web, the net--matters. And looking beyond days of old, however you classify the Internet means that our national policy must align itself to encourage and provide Internet access that will support convergence and modernization today, tomorrow and in the longer term. Otherwise, we will all continue with our expectations remaining at a level that says: So long as our calls are as good or almost as good, then what's the problem?
For me, two cans and a string equate to the current expectations. The national network for this country should boast and retain the idea of higher expectations than what are acceptable today for either cellular, landline or IP communications.
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