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U.S. Congress Reviewing Two Bills to Regulate VoIP Services
Two Bills before the U.S. Congress would impose new regulations on Internet communications technologies. Specifically, an amendment proposed recently by Senator Byron Dorgan D-N.D to another more innocuous initiative would allow States to charge VoIP the same fees that they charge fixed line and cellular providers to subsidize telephone services for rural customers. This amendment would apply not only to VoIPs whose services connect to the traditional telephone system, but also to any form of real time two-way voice communications over the public Internet. This could include video-conferencing software or even chat features in multi-player video games.
A less inclusive proposal has been put forward by representative Rick Boucher D-V.A., who has introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would allow the FCC the authority to regulate commercial Internet VoIP technologies. This would empower the FCC to ensure that VoIP services provide 911 service, provide access to persons with disabilities and contribute to the subsidies for rural customers. Although this legislation would only apply to commercial services, it could in fact wind up capturing a large number of potential uses and services, as well.
In both cases, Congress seems to be struggling with the challenge posed by the emergence of VOIP as an alternative to the traditional public telephone network. It will no doubt be a challenge for regulators to determine how they want to approach these new communications technologies which, on the surface, may act and feel like traditional telephones, but are technologically much different.
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