Sprint's New ION products

Wed Jun 3 18:19:26 UTC 1998

Scott Brim <swb at newbridge.com> writes:
>I believe it's IP/PPP/ATM/DSL to the home, and IP/Tag/ATM/Sonet in the
backbone.

That is about as succinctly put as can be, but I didn't get the impression
that all apps would run over one stack. There seems to be room for an ATM
API in the announcement, but no explicit mention.

The most radical change for an established telco like Sprint is that Sprint
has seen the light from the Great Crossover ahead and decided it is best and
cheapest to run voice calls over packet or cell than over separate switched
networks. It's getting to be a no-brainer decision, unless the guys in the
domed building in WDC eliminate switched network access charges to the
incumbents, which is apparently unlikely. So all voice moves to packet/cell
ASAP to avoid switched network call termination charges as much as possible.
Really a forced migration in terms of business costs, since the termination
charges in the one to three cent/minute range are enormous compared to the
cost of a packet voice call.

>Are there any expected dates for deployment?

Given the timeframe to get multi-megabit copper or DSL from the incumbents
and the fact that within that timeframe qos-IP/DWDM/fiber equipment will
cost about 10% of IP/ATM/SONET/DWDM/fiber, I would say "never" is most
likely. Of course, they can deliver this to "big corporate customers" on
bypass right now, so perhaps the answer is "now". But "never" to the small
business and residential market.

--Kent