The End of Plain Old Telephone Service?

"... the Australian telecommunications giant Telstra late last month released its plan to bring a close to the old telephone world. Telstra announced it will decommission its copper customer access network and stop offering fixed line telephone service to retail customers after July 1, 2018."

Hot off the presses: This short Network World column broaches the idea of life without copper telephone networks. The U.S. is reportedly heading there. Could Canada be far off? Here's the link:
Moves afoot in U.S., elsewhere to end PSTN copper lifeline:
Net Insider By Scott Bradner, Network World , August 03, 2011 11:26 AM ET