Pure VoIP Won't Be Regulated, Phone-Like VoIP Might Be
from the split-decision dept
As expected, the FCC ruled on the Pulver VoIP petition today, and gave something of a split decision. They claim that "pure" VoIP systems shouldn't be regulated, since they're just like email or any other internet application. However, they're reserving judgment on VoIP systems that more resemble regular phone service, such as Vonage that touch on the PSTN. This seems like something of a cop out, and may be difficult to sustain over time. Most of the "pure" VoIP systems are offering (or planning to offer) gateways that let them connect to the telephone system. Where do they fall along the regulatory spectrum? This would take away the incentive of VoIP providers to connect to regular phone service, creating two different levels of phone service, rather than connecting the two and leading to a more orderly migration. Of course, it still remains to be seen what sorts of regulations they will include for PSTN-connected VoIP. Chances are, they're talking about adding in 911 service and phone-tapping abilities.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
VOIP
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
Well, i got vonage a few months ago. Works great. the web intereface is cool, including being able to download voicemail messages. Its dirt cheap and works well on my comcast modem. Also works perfectly with my Tivo, which is the most important thing. I hear some tivos have trouble with it though.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Protecting the PSTN makes sense
Right now VoiP is not good enough to justify signing a death warrant for old-fashioned phone calling. I know that's what Mike expects, and I'm sure he's right, but ... this is a case where you don't want to kill the gose that lays golden eggs until its eggs have turned entirely to brass.
- The Precision Blogger
http://precision-blogging.blogspot.com
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
regulation
VoIP systems, on the other hand, have no natural monopoly. They're just sending data over the existing information infrastructure. The only thing they have in common with the phone company is the fact that they send voice data. There's nothing to regulate here. It's just data on the net. What's inside the packets is irrelevent from a regulatory standpoint. Give me about five minutes and I can be transmitting audio over the net, does that mean I should be regulated?
Put another way, telecoms aren't regulated because of the fact that they transmit your voice, they're regulated for other reasons. Therefore, the fact that VoIP also transmits your voice isn't sufficient reason to regulate it like a telecom.
(Not that there can't hypothetically be a reason to regulate VoIP, it's just that the fact that it's voice data isn't a good one.)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
A 'public' network
To remove the regulated Telcos from the last mile.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]