"Cable companies don't have the experience and the infrastructure of the telephone companies for providing reliable phone service," Washburn said. "The telephone world has a strong tradition of reliability that's up to the five 9's (99.999 percent)."
Cable operator Cox Communications, however, could prove to be an exception. The company is beginning to launch a VoIP service over its traditional circuit-switch system. This blend of new and older technologies could provide increased reliability, Washburn said.
On the flip side, telephone companies will find it difficult to match cable operators' bundle of television, Internet and phone services.
Whether consumers chose cable operators or phone carriers, most experts believe the gradual adoption of VoIP over traditional technologies is inevitable, given its flexibility and potential for delivering unique offerings that include video-phones and integrated phone messages and email.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
