Quote Originally Posted by stevech View Post
Thanks for the comment, but it doesn't speak to the issue I raised, that being:
"can't VoIPo do quality assurance tests for that provider before going live with it?"
We are customers, not guinea pigs.

The point is using a carrier that takes the call, creates the connection and flow, but doesn't pass ANI (CID). For many VoIPo customers. The cut-fiber analogy is N/A.
The issues you raised all related. If you take an in-depth analysis of what transpires from the time you get a dial tone to the time the call connects...in or out, I think you would be amazed at the sheer complexity of the stream.
Stuff does happen. We, many years ago, contracted a number of circuits with ATT because they owned virtually all the pipes at the time...they charged whatever they wanted...they also went down on occasion..so no one is immune.

This may be hard to believe, but most of the network monitoring is done by the customers. They will report immediately when something isn't working and then the process begins to get it fixed.