Simply put, the service just didn't measure up. The same holds true for VOIP or TOIP, at least for now. They aren't ready for prime time and, given the issues that have to be addressed, they won't be anytime soon. Call centers, customer service centers and e-shopping could create the customer pull to make VOIP a commercial reality, and call centers have the technical sophistication and financial wherewithal to support the technology. I'm here to tell you that each of those features was developed because some customers wanted them.
Nobody knows, but it's going to take a long time.
Some recent work I completed on ISDN demonstrated just how long it might take. My printer started and it didn't quit until what turned out to be a 78-page User Guide had come through. Yup, VOIP's got a long way to go. Inc. All rights reserved.