The move to migrate communications to an all-IP network from a legacy one is one of the most talked about debates in telecom to date. There are many parties that fall on either side of the argument, but the main pro touted by industry professionals is the hypercompetitive environment an all-IP future holds.

With traditional legacy networks, expansion leads to complexity, which then leads to reduced network quality and increased ancillary costs in transmission, equipment rooms, power consumption and human resources. Many seem to misunderstand that this issue is not a left versus right one politically, but rather a future versus past argument on the human level.

TransNexus, a provider of software solutions dealing with least cost routing for VoIP networks, recently highlighted in their blog AT&T’s (News - Alert) stance on the migration to an all-IP network, as talked about at the Voice Communications Exchange Workshop recently.  

Telecom regulation, as it stands, is putting the kibosh on any development that could be made in the shift to an all-IP network. The Voice Communication Exchange says that putting an end to telecom regulations and circuit switched PSTN because it will, it is assumed, to put to rest the very dated Communication Act of 1934, as well as updates and corresponding regulations. These have long been criticized for being unconstitutional and opening the doors for takeovers and acquisitions, leading to communication monopolies.

For AT&T, it’s a matter of getting “the policies right” and creating the “right incentives.” Back in 2009, AT&T suggested regulatory changes to phase out copper landlines, as they were quickly becoming a thing of the past. In a 32-page filing, AT&T asked the FCC (News - Alert) to eliminate regulatory requirements that it support a landline network and to provide a deadline for phasing it out.

“Despite the neat silos anticipated by the ’96 Act, Google now offers voice services, we at AT&T now offer TV service, Microsoft (News - Alert) does entertainment…satellite companies are even talking about wireless services. All this change is being driven not by us, but by consumers. And we are all in the business of keeping up with consumer demand,” said Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president-External and Legislative Affairs with AT&T, as told by TransNexus.

To find out more about TRANSNEXUS, visit the company at ITEXPO West 2012. To be held Oct. 2-5 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX, ITEXPO  is the world’s largest communications and technology event . Visit TransNexus (News - Alert) in booth # 819. For more information on ITEXPO West 2012, click here.