III. Circuit Switches vs. Packet Switches

Verizon currently provides complainants with unbundled Local Switching and Common Transport network elements through its circuit switches. Verizon claims that it is no longer required to do so when it deploys its packet switches.

Preliminarily, it is useful to describe the difference between circuit and packet switches. With a circuit switch, when person "A" calls person "B," a dedicated circuit is created between these two points. This path is not shared by anyone else while the call takes place. A packet switch, in contrast, is more like a freeway, on which multiple vehicles with differing originations and destinations share the same path. A packet switch is more efficient than a circuit switch because calls and other data are packaged (i.e., digitized and packetized), sent through a shared network, and reassembled at their respective destinations.

Packet technology is not new. It was first deployed over 15 years ago, replacing high-capacity telecommunications circuits, and is currently used by carriers to route long-distance traffic. The technology has evolved such that it can now be deployed into additional branches of the telecommunications network. The benefits from such deployment include many advanced service features, including broadband capabilities, as well as certain efficiencies.