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VOIP Continues to Make News
As the use of VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) continues to expand, the Internet communication technology continues to cause legislative and administrative ripples around the world. Three recent news stories highlight this trend.
First, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, Costa Rica's state-owned telecommunication monopoly, has proposed legislation that might make Internet telephone calls a crime. The agency says that it views VOIP as a value-added telecommunications service that uses the country's telecommunication infrastructure, and which therefore should be regulated. Not surprisingly, members of Costa Rica's software industry believe that the proposed legislation could seriously harm their efforts to expand the country's software development and outsourcing business.
Second, a North Carolina ISP has reached a deal with the FCC under which it will refrain from blocking VOIP calls and will pay a fine to the government. The ISP had engaged in "port blocking" - that is, preventing certain types of Internet traffic from traveling through its networks. The FCC declared that it acted swiftly to ensure that VOIP remains a viable option for consumers.
Third, in a similar case, Kenya's Communications Commission recently ordered a state-owned telecommunications provider to restore VOIP services. The Commission reminded Telkom Kenya that VOIP was no longer outlawed, and that the provider should stop fearing legal competition.
For more information, visit:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200503040983.html
http://news.com.com/2100-7352_3-5598633.html
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-543A2.pdf
http://www.techweb.com/wire/networking/60403862