Tell that to the likes of G4KLX, KI4LKF, the ircDDB team, PA4YBR, the designers and builders of various GMSK modems, and even AA4RC and Moe, who designed the DV Dongle hardware...
The real thing that would explode D-star onto the world stage would be if they implemented an A-STAR gateway into the D-STAR system. That is a means to gateway to existing analog users with existing radios. Then everyone everywhere could participate in callsign-to-callsign voice contact just like D-star.
The A-Star gateway does this. It uses the built-in (APRS) digital signaling in any of the 8 current models of Kenwood and Yaesu APRS radios to provide the seamless interface. The APRS radios can be configured to send out their CALLSIGN with each release of PTT, thus giving the automatic callsign identification (Like Dstar). Further, APRS radio users can signal who they want to talk to by simply entering an APRS message to the intended callsign target.
This way, the A-STAR gateway provides the same end-user-to-end-user-by callsign VOICE calling as Dstar. On the D-star side of the gatway, all the A-STAR gateways look like just another D-star repeater. But on the Analog side of the A-STAR gateway, it looks like a normal Analog repeater. BUT, the analog repeater is listening for the PTT burst with the callsign ID's. And the A-star gateway interprets incoming callsign message requests as requests for a voice link and sets it up as if it was a D-star system.
See how. www.aprs.org/avrs.html
This is all part of the Automatic Voice Relay Network concept that ties together all linked voice systems into a universal-by-callsign VOIP system. It is where APRS has been headed since 2001. And it is why all the recent radios from Kenwood and Yaesu can include their operating frequency in their ID packet and why they can also QSY to a commanded frequency on an incoming message with the press of a single button.
We just need someone to write the A-star gateway software into the D-star network.
Bob, WB4APR