Don McCarty – Talk Back

MARCH 2010
The Death of the Public Switched Telephone Network

Is dial tone going away? What do you think? The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a dinosaur, expensive to maintain, and it should go away. Internet Protocol (IP) is the answer. Read full story.

JANUARY 2010
Noise Mitigation Cannot Be a Part-Time Job

In today's environment it seems that due to workload, transmission engineers rarely leave their office. And that's unfortunate. Read full story.

NOVEMBER 2009
Neglecting the Marginal Profit Telephone Customer

I am a rural telephone customer and I and my neighbors are sick of being ignored when it comes to the bandwidth business. I'm talking about my telco/provider because they impact my life and my "work from home" business, but I know many of the large telcos also treat their "country" customers the same way. Read full story.

OCTOBER 2009
Were You There? Will You Be There Next Year?

Another OSP EXPO is behind us and considering the economy, attendance was good. That got me wondering about what drives vendors and attendees to decide whether to go to conferences or not. Read full story.

SEPTEMBER 2009
Beyond the Reach

Telcos can provide Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) to anyone who wants it. You will get dial tone even if you live so far out in the country that if you leave your windows open at night the raccoon farts blow the candles out. But ask the same telcos to provide those same customers bandwidth - that's a whole different story. I live that and am a prime example of a customer who is beyond the reach. Our provider is...Read full story.

AUGUST 2009
Teamwork

If one group drops the ball the cost of business goes up, the customer suffers, quality drops, and complaints increase. My question to you is this: in your organization where is your biggest road block?Read full story.

JULY 2009
Seriously Folks…Train the CO People!

For Pete’s sake, give the tech a break and trust him/her when they go through the testing procedure and can show you the results. And save money and time by…Read full story.

JUNE 2009
What Can Be Done to Protect Our Jobs and Businesses From Substandard Executives and Boards?

A blind survey of corporate executives last year found the majority would rather be playing golf than working, or, in the case of James Cayne of Bear Stearns, play bridge while his company folded and nearly brought the whole economy down. Read full story.

MAY 2009
Yes, It's a Recession

A new business plan, investing in people and tools… Is your company making the right decisions? TALK BACK now with Don McCarty. Read full story.

APRIL 2009
Using an Open Meter

Your open meter is a critical piece of equipment and correctly used will save you and the company time and money and cut down on customer frustration. If you are considering purchasing an open meter for the first time or replacing old meters, remember that if you base your decision on budget, you may make an expensive mistake. Keep in mind the E's… Read full story.

MARCH 2009
I Don't Know Why We're Having Trouble With Triple Play, But It Is Not the Cable Pair

Field technicians get dispatched on a myriad of problems to restore service, especially on ADSL and IPTV circuits that are fiber to the node (FTTN). The field technician is first responsible for the cable pair, drop, inside station wire, and modem; and with TV, the set-top box. Read full story.

FEBRUARY 2009
Jobs In Eight

This is my first column in OSP®'s TALK BACK. I plan on covering issues that I run into while training technicians in the field on provisioning and maintaining the copper infrastructure. I train field technicians in the RBOCs and independent telephone companies nationwide in the U.S., in Canada, Guam, Saipan, Mexico, South America, the Pacific Rim, and Europe. Read full story.