Copper, TDM, and wireline networks in general – all three remain important parts of our public networks today. At the same time, all three are vestiges of the past that continue to be the source of decommissioning discussions.

But is copper really going the way of the dinosaur? What’s happening with the TDM-to-IP transition? And, in the age of the smartphone and the tablet, who needs boring old wireline networks anyway?

More importantly, what do the changes in the networking landscape that are prompting some of the changes and debates relative to copper, TDM, wireless, and wireline mean for communications providers, customers, and competition?

We could get answers to at least some of these questions later this year, which is when the Federal Communications Commission is expected to render decisions related to the pending IP interconnection and special interconnection proceedings, said Chip Pickering, the CEO of competitive carrier association COMPTEL (News - Alert). That should clarify, or establish, IP interconnections rights and obligations, special access last mile reform, and the plan to move the industry to IP as quickly as possible, said Pickering, who spoke with TMCnet earlier this week at the COMPTEL PLUS event in Las Vegas.

Any FCC (News - Alert) rulings on the above topics are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the changes that are expected relative to communications policy, however, adds Pickering. The next big legal framework that will govern communications technology today and into the future is likely to be established over the next two to four years, he says, noting that there’s a possibility of significant new legislation (i.e., a telecom act rewrite) from Congress on this when it comes back in 2016. 

As Pickering wrote in the March issue of this magazine, “COMPTEL believes there are fundamental actions that Congress and the FCC must take to ensure that the communications market can continue delivering benefits to consumers and the economy, including making certain that large incumbents, such as AT&T and Verizon (News - Alert), provide reasonable wholesale access and interconnection; and reaffirming that the ’96 Act’s market-opening provisions apply on a technologically neutral basis.”

For more on these topics, check out the cover story in the upcoming May issue of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.