Rhetoric cools on Net phones
US Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell has already said he won’t set rules for Internet telephony any time soon and significantly, hailed VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) aqs, "probably the most significant paradigm shift in the entire history of modern communications, since the invention of the telephone".
Now, some companies that provide Net phone services seem open to limited government oversight, "shifting their position from just a few months ago," says the Mercury News here. "And some state lawmakers and regulators, for their part, said they did not envision heavy-handed regulations for the emerging industry."
At Tuesday’s US Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee meeting, the tone of the discussion was collegial, "a dramatic change from just a few months ago," says the story. "Then, the companies that provide voice over Internet protocol products and services and some state regulators were waging a media feud over whether the companies should face the same regulations as traditional phone companies.
"It’s going to be regulated something like the cell phone services," predicted state Public Utilities Commission member Carl Wood. "We’ll end up with a minimum of regulations and some consumer protections."
Committee chairwoman senator Debra Bowen, D-Redondo Beach, steered the conversation away from regulation, "at least initially," says the Mercury News, "and focused on the industry’s obligations to provide 911 emergency phone service and help fund the ‘universal service’ program.
Most Internet phone companies are not directly tied to the 911 system, and Bowen cited scenarios in which VoIP might not be able to reach emergency dispatchers. But Bill McMurray, the communications manager for the Marin County Sheriff’s office, told the committee that the industry has been working with public safety officials to develop a way for their customers to reach 911 operators.
Bryan Martin, CEO of 8×8 which offers Packet8, said he would support paying into the fund if it were used to spread broadband access to more communities.
"As long as you free the industry to compete head to head on service, the other regulations may be OK to protect consumers or foster communication or serve the public good," said Keith Epstein, vp and general counsel for Advanced Solutions, an affiliate of SBC Communications that’s developing a VoIP service.
