TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to Fred:
Actually, Fred referred to it in one of his rebuttals in which he mentioned LSR or electronic bonding. Both are a part of the systems support (OSS) that all RBOCs had to establish to support the CLECs following the passage and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The entire directory process had to be modified as well at that time. If you look in the front of virtually any directory today you will find the more or less traditional pages regarding service, emergencies, areas served, etc. However, since 1998 or so you will also find service pages from any CLEC which desires to have its contact information included in the directory. Further, the Act requires that the ILEC accept listings from the CLECs for inclusion in both the white and yellow pages as appropriate. So -- the processes are there, the legalities are a non-issue, and the listings could be handled smoothly. If the VoIP provider desires to interface with the ILEC for directory listings, all they have to do is establish the connection to the ILEC. Why they do not do so is that they probably do not wish to pay the costs involved, since their business model is to generally avoid costs, fees, and taxes which are associated with or assessed by the wireline service providers. BTW, Foreign Directory Listings were always a headache, even before the divestiture of the Bell System in 1984. We had specialists in Pacific Telephone who handled those requests but much of that expertise was lost in the 1984-86 time period as work groups were disbanded and reformed, people left the business, staff support groups were disbanded, etc. Bill Hendley