Reuters is reporting that Comcast, the largest cable operator in the United States will offer a VoIP-based telephone service to over 40 million households as early as 2006.

Comcast is the latest cable company to jump on the VoIP bandwagon, following the likes of Time Warner, Cablevision, and Cox. Comcast is much larger than its cable rivals, with over 21 million subscribers. Comcast already serves approximately 1.2 million customers using traditional circuit-switched voice based on its acquisition of AT&T Broadband in 2002.

So in the end it looks like Michael Armstrong, the once embattled head of AT&T did indeed have a vision worth following. Armstrong had hoped to make AT&T a major player in the triple-threat of voice, video, and Internet. It appears that with the sale of AT&T Broadband to Comcast, the wheels were in motion to make Comcast the entity that was in the end able to follow through on Armstrong’s foresight.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Still it’s a good day for our industry when 40 million people become 40 million prospects.