Re: OT? : Netherlands to switch 100% to VOIP before 2010

john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
On 15 Feb, 18:51, Jan Panteltje <pNaonStpealm...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
We (The Netherlands, or Dutch ahum) just made the switch to digital TV
a few month ago, the analog transmissions were switched of completely.
I bought a settop box....

Few weeks ago I came across one of those small news bulletins on a _German_
site (www.heise.de) that the Dutch KPN decided to kill the old phone system
and switch to VOIP 100% before 2010.

So more sales, and millions of phones and phone related appliances need replacing...
Now 2010 is only _3_ years away....

And indeed on their site KPN is now selling 'slim bellen', or in English
'smart dialling", and you can ONLY keep the old analog line if you have special
requirements, like alarm systems (they are probably still a bit scared of claims).

OK, I moved to VOIP years ago, but not via their service, but I use their copper
lines.

Now as some other poster was asking about answering machines etc.. I case we
want to play, then we will have to design stuff with a small TCP/IP stack, and
ethernet interface...DSL modem perhaps, if there is not one.

Now again today I see Germany will do the same thing (no date known), with the help
of IBM.
I am all for it, but then send the 100 million or so analog phones to the third world? ;-)
I would like to hear opinions and solutions....
I think in the view of all this, and TV over internet etc, better have the PC
on 24/7, we need low power computers (or more nuculear* power plants).

In the old days the telco was more strict on design acceptance then the army.
What happened to '48 V DC must be there, so the phones will work in a case
where power fails?'
etc...

*Ape spelling.

Checked by spelsjeker

Shortly in the UK we'll also be losing the analogue TV and me as a
viewer. I currently see the supplied digital channels using a digital
decoder box. Picture quality is noticeably poorer than the analogue
stuff, particularly on skin tones flat colour surfaces and American
imports. Sort of paint it by numbers.
Also, the decoder box, it's remote and me, don't get along. The
f****** thing has serious software issues.
Little worth watching anyway. Mostly *** suitable for a dumbed down
audience.

Also had enough of the modern push button tone phones. Damned things
glue up in an instant if Coffee goes near and their cheap plastic
casings can't take more than a few months daylight before Yellowing
and stress cracking results.
Am going back to bright Red, BT 746, pulse dialling, real telephones
with real bells. Something designed to last for years and years. VOIP
forget it.

I'm regressingI know but I'm 'am tired of being fobbed off with the
second rate, the inferior, the sub standard and then lectured by some
technically illiterate politician that it is good, the way forward,
the future.
john


Pulse dialling ceases to work soon in the UK :) It already doesn't work in some areas.

You're right about the picture quality on digital..... until you get a decent reception signal. Then it's ok. Plus, all those useless channels selling plastic jewellery and tupperware weightlifting machines make people think it must be better.

I think the main drive behind it is so the gubment can sell all the released bandwidth to the highest bidders.

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Gibbo

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