[angkor]

Except when the voice packet is terminated on a PSTN service to complete the call. It could then still be going over Verizon's Network.

Correct, but we're way beyond proof-of-concept here, and it's demonstrable that Verizon is no longer technically necessary for precisely the reason you state below:

With VOIP the future would be dialing an IP address instead of a traditional POTS number. But that is still down the road a bit.

Think about it.

You're on an IP "telephone", so you have IP and presumably Web access, which means you can Google. You look up "Joes Pizza, Anytown" and get a result.

If Joe's Pizza *also* has its VoIP IP address associated with that Google directory entry, you're done. Click on the (imagined) GoogleDial button.

Even if you're on a DHCP network with private address space, there's no reason Google couldn't have a small app update the Google directory entry with your IP address every 10 or 15 or 30 minutes. Thus, clicking on your Google directory entry would eliminate the need for a telephone number.

I give it one year or two (max) to go experimental on Google.

Bye bye Verizon.

[neb52]

I am not for sure though that VOIP will be the only option of phone service or the preferred if that. Digital POTS service seems to be just as viable in offering cheap Local/LD phone service while maintaining the traditional telco structure. Comcast and Verizon's FTTP phone service are Digital POTS not VOIP. Its a digital signal routed and controlled based on QoS. No IP packet involved. Also seems to be more reliable for business with Key Switch/PBX systems.