Volume II

Issue : 3: February 5, 2004

• U.S. National Cable Association Proposes Limited VoIP Regulation
• The VoIP Regulatory Debate Intensifies in Canada - TRAI Amends its Quality of Service Regulations for VoIP Long Distance Service in India
• Minnesota Judge Refuses to Reserve VoIP Decision - Panama Introduces Tax on VoIP
• Lawsuit Launched Against Credit Card Companies over Piracy of Internet Pornography
• U.S. Telemarketers Required to Identify Themselves to Consumers by Caller ID
• Federal, British Columbia and Alberta Privacy Commissioners Agree to Cooperate
• FTC Releases Report on 2003 Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaints
• B.C. Court Rules Forward Looking Infra-Red Technology Does Not Constitute a Search
• RIAA Targets Individuals on Anonymous Basis - Australia Music Industry Sues ISP
• France Gets Ready to Take Action against Internet Piracy
• Canadian Company to Offer High-speed Internet Access Via Hydro Lines
• U.S. Court of Appeals Finds Formation of On-line Contract Does Not Require "I Agree"
• Ontario Court Asserts Jurisdiction Over Washington Post Based on Online Publication

Home > Volume II > Issue 3: February 5, 2004 > U.S. National Cable Association Proposes Limited VoIP Regulation

U.S. National Cable Association Proposes Limited VoIP Regulation

The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), a principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States, has proposed compliance with a bare-bones set of regulations for VoIP services. "Only a minimally regulatory framework can create the right incentives and a favorable climate in which service providers can invest, innovate, and deploy VoIP services," NCTA says.

NCTA proposes a four-prong test to determine whether a particular IP-based voice service should be subject to the regulation. The test is based on whether the service has the following characteristics:

1. It makes use of North American Numbering Plan (NANP) resources;
2. It receives calls from or terminates them to the PSTN at one or both ends of the call;
3. It represents a possible replacement for "plain old telephone service" (POTS); and
4. It uses Internet Protocol (IP) transmission between the service provider and the end user customer, including use of an IP terminal adapter and/or IP-based telephone set.

If a service meets these qualifications, NCTA suggests that instead of assigning a specific regulatory "box" or classification to VoIP (e.g. as "an information service" or "telecommunications service" within existing regulatory frameworks), policymakers should focus on the responsibilities and rights appropriate for a facilities-based provider of such VoIP services.

For additional information see:
http://www.ncta.com/pdf_files/VoIPWhitePaper.pdf
http://www.ncta.com/press/press.cfm?PRid=435&showArticles=ok