Last week, I started talking about how VoIP and fiber technologies have already triumphed over traditional TDM/POTS and copper technologies. But boy, did I digress and start feeling nostalgic for the old days. Calling copper a "brilliant" final mile solution? I must have been holding the tip and ring a few too many times when ring voltage came down the line. Well, at least I resisted the urge to plug my latest book available on Amazon: "The Joy of Punching Down on a 66 Block," available from IBEW Press. Perhaps I was experiencing a little oxidation of the brain (was my green patina showing?) Anyway, if you think that was a stretch, my goal this time is to show how all this comes back to cloud computing. More...

Network World recently ran a series on the 20 greatest "Coke vs. Pepsi"-like battles in the networking industry. Surprisingly, they did not include anything like "POTS vs VoIP" or "Copper vs Fiber." Perhaps it is because they, like me, don't think the debate is relevant: VoIP and fiber have already won, but POTS and copper are never going away just as vacuum tubes never will (yes, there is still a need for vacuum tubes and always will be). More...