[VoiceOps] TDM -> IP Migration

[Mary Lou Carey]

Regarding: 

Companies like Peerless and Inteliquent have both CLEC and VoIP
provider-centric services. If I'm forklifting out my TDM gear, what are
the advantages of staying CLEC-based instead of moving to IPES-based?
>From what I can tell, they're very similar. In both methods, I'm still
responsible for 911, for number blocks, for porting, for a SIP
interconnect, for my own switching, etc., etc. In both worlds (as is the
PSTN), I'm limited to being single-homed. For instance, I couldn't use
BOTH Inteliquent and Peerless simultaneously for a given TN. We don't
yet have our IPES OCN, but that's hardly a large barrier. 

The advantage of being IPES over CLEC are: 

1. You get your Numbering Authorization from the FCC rather than the
state. This allows you to operate in multiple states as opposed to just
the state that you're certified in as a CLEC. There are a few states
like CA who still require you to file for a CPCN or some type of
paperwork, but overall getting your IPES Numbering Authorization is much
easier than getting a CLEC license.   

2. You don't have to sign your own interconnection agreement because you
can order under the interconnection agreement of your host. 

3. All the RBOCs and ILECs allow your host to add your NXXs onto their
existing trunks. Verizon and Frontier will allow the host providers to
add CLECs NXXs onto their existing trunks, but AT&T, CenturyLink, and
Windstream will not so CLECs have to order their own trunks in those
areas. Even though the host can provide you with LOA CFA for those
orders, transport prices have gone through the roof so its not a cost
effective way to interconnect anymore.  

The disadvantage of being an IPES over CLEC are: 

1. IPES have to submit a 30 day notice to the state before they can
order NXXs. This adds 30 days to the timeline unless you submit the 30
day notice way in advance of your numbering needs.  

2. You can't claim CABS billing for Tandem Transport. 

If you're in an area that there are other large carriers in, you can
always point your NXXs to their LRN and let them route your traffic as
opposed to signing up for a PSTN connection service like Sinch and
InfoBip offer. You jeopardize your ability to get your NXXs back if you
port them over, and you're still responsible for your NRUF reports, but
its doable.  

If you're in an area that only the ILEC covers, then the only option I
know of is a company that interconnects with the small ILECs to connect
them together. Their name escapes me at the moment, but I haven't heard
great things about their network so that would be my last option. 

If you really want to get away from TDM and not be dependent on others
to do your SS7 routing, I would convert your equipment over to VOIP and
establish direct SIP interconnections with all the major carriers you
send traffic to and receive traffic from. That's really the only way to
get around having to do an IPES or CLEC connection anymore. 

MARY LOU CAREY 
BackUP Telecom Consulting 
Office: 615-791-9969 
Cell: 615-796-1111 

On 2024-10-21 01:35 PM, Mike Hammett via VoiceOps wrote:

> Given my need to migrate from old Metaswitch gear to something new and Metaswitch abusing the market, I decided to re-evaluate my whole TDM-first position. I had a very engineering-first mindset because we are the only operator (aside from the incumbent telco) that has a local switch. Yes, we still depend on external places for SS7\SIGTRAN, but those are fairly easy to route, as opposed to TDM voice. I planted my flag on "we don't depend on Chicago, like everybody else." 
> 
> Well, nobody cares.The largest user in the area moved everything to Teams, so what point is there in me pushing something that no one cares about. SS7\SIGTRAN services are going up in price. DS3s are going up in price. TDM hardware is expensive. I don't know 10% of legacy telco as compared to what I know of IP. 
> 
> Freeing myself from TDM would certainly make finding my Metaswitch replacement easier. Sure, everyone is going to have some solution to handle it, but what if I didn't have that problem at all? 
> 
> Companies like Peerless and Inteliquent have both CLEC and VoIP provider-centric services. If I'm forklifting out my TDM gear, what are the advantages of staying CLEC-based instead of moving to IPES-based? From what I can tell, they're very similar. In both methods, I'm still responsible for 911, for number blocks, for porting, for a SIP interconnect, for my own switching, etc., etc. In both worlds (as is the PSTN), I'm limited to being single-homed. For instance, I couldn't use BOTH Inteliquent and Peerless simultaneously for a given TN. We don't yet have our IPES OCN, but that's hardly a large barrier. 
> 
> What are some things that I might not be thinking of? For those of you that have made similar migrations, which path did you choose and what did you wish you knew before the move? 
> 
> Yeah, lots of things in the air...  looking to change basically how every aspect of voice in the network works...  all at once (or nearly at once). About the only things that wouldn't be changing would be a couple of existing SIP providers and our subscriber gateways. Even our hosted PBXes would be changing, though more of a phased-in model. 
> 
> -----
> Mike Hammett
> Intelligent Computing Solutions
> http://www.ics-il.com
> 
> Midwest Internet Exchange
> http://www.midwest-ix.com
> 
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