Quote Originally Posted by stevech View Post
If this is because VoIPo is using a new service provider, or a new offering from an incumbent, can't VoIPo do quality assurance tests for that provider before going live with it? In general, the VoIP market has far, far too many avoidable self-inflected problems.
I'm not answering for Tim, but having come from the POTS world, I think I'm qualified to comment.
Every provider has a network operating center(NOC) and is constantly checking the carriers for connectivity. This is not an absolute science, since those carriers are also checking down the line for the same things.
Assuming all is well at the moment, all providers are looking at the rates those carriers are charging.
Because of the nature of telephony, the companies are looking for the best prices consistent with the quality...AT THE MOMENT.
A good route today goes down because a tractor somewhere cut a fibre line...or a tech at a POP somewhere in the world fell asleep.
To sum up...there is no absolute. They stay on top and when a route goes bad, hope that another route is immediately available to switch to.
Couple this entire adventure with the fact that this is VOIP and is also at the mercy of those companies transporting your packets to them to send on and it reveals a very complex situation.

That Tim does and has provided the quality and consistancy and price of his service we experience, this is a tribute.