Thus spake "James Laszko" <james@pcipros.com>
Most MPLS networks use a combination of point to point, frame and ATM facilities as the infrastructure. The phone companies use ATM just about everywhere to deliver voice across their networks.
Some may. I know of at least one that moves all their LD voice traffic via VoIP on a private POS/MPLS network. Most won't admit one way or the other unless you're under NDA and have a need to know. Getting back to the OP's question, I'd rather build a new private network via carriers' MPLS (e.g. TLS) offerings. The ATM cell tax, as well as the high cost of interfaces (compared to either POS or Ethernet), is simply not worth the supposed benefits. You'll get equally bad service regardless of the technology chosen -- spend your money on getting them to manage the CPE (no finger-pointing) and better SLAs (you'll at least get money back when, not if, you have problems).
I don't see ATM/FR equipment being EOL'd anytime in the near future.
I think talking about EOS/EOL is jumping the gun, but most of it hasn't seen any new development (or speed increases) in quite a while. The telcos are going to milk that sunk investment for as long as customers are willing to pay for it, and the vendors are happy to sell them replacement cards, but few if any people are designing new ATM cards or new ATM networks. FR will live on long after ATM is dead and gone because it fits a distinct customer demand (cheap, simple, and very slow) with no reasonable replacement. S Stephen Sprunk "Those people who think they know everything CCIE #3723 are a great annoyance to those of us who do." K5SSS --Isaac Asimov