Fifteen years ago, when I was collecting data for my thesis from a European telco, the threat all the company's employees, particularly the senior managers, were worrying about was VOIP. I confess I had only a vague idea they were talking about; I knew what it meant but somehow it didn't really grab my imagination. Yesterday, after installing my own analog telephone adaptor (ATA), I now realize in an oddly viscerally way what they meant. More colloquially, now I get it.
In the 90s, the trunk network, the backbone that links local exchanges together, was transforming from analog to digital. I talk about this in class when we look at Alcatel in Spain. Huge rotary telephone switches in the locals exchanges were being replaced by small(ish) computers. But for residential customers, the last mile has remained stubbornly analog. Until now - at least for me. After setting up my ATA, my analog portion is now down to about 6 feet; and if I had a shorter cable it would be 3.
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