How does FreeSWITCH compare to Asterisk?

Open source telephony platform, Asterisk, has been used for years as an inexpensive alternative to proprietry PBXs, democratising this previously closed service industry. Why then did Freedom Fone choose to use FreeSWITCH as its telephony component instead of Asterisk? Our Project Architect, Alberto Escudero Pascual, will answer that question in the new year, but until then clues lie in this comment from Telecom Monthly:

While Asterisk may still be the darling of small and mid sized companies looking to build a phone system on the cheap, FreeSwitch is finding favor with those looking to build advanced communication services and platforms which seek to serve hundreds or thousands of users. Read more

In April 16, 2008 FreeSWITCH's Lead Developer, Anthony Minessale provided helpful insights into the two applications.

How does FreeSWITCH compare to Asterisk? Why did you start over with a new application? These are questions I’ve been hearing a lot lately so I decided to explain it for all of the telephony professionals and enthusiasts alike who are interested to know how the two applications compare and contrast to each other. I have a vast amount of experience with both applications with about 3 years of doing asterisk development under my belt and well, being the author of FreeSWITCH. First I will provide a little history and my experience with Asterisk, then I will try to explain the motivations and the different approach I took with FreeSWITCH. Read more