Ever since 2004, when the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) pre-empted 50 U.S. states from regulating Vonage, the Voip industry has been crossing its fingers and hoping that things would stay that way - but knowing that at some point, sometime, the regulations would have to change.
All of those in the know are well aware of the ever increasing number of regulations which have been creeping in over the past eight years, and now, without doubt, 2012 looks set to be the most regulation heavy year yet.
Ever since the 'interconnected Voip service' regulations were introduced, any provider offering this service has been hit with a plethora of FCC regulatory requirements. And now, just a few years later, two-way Voice Over Internet Protocol service providers are faced with a set of regulations almost as severe as standard telephone services.
In 2012 the US Congress further signalled their intentions to codify the contribution duties of interconnected as well as non-interconnected Voip providers with the introduction of the '21st Century Video and Communications Act'.
In 2004, 'Interconnected Voip Service' was defined by the FCC as being a service that; (a) enables real-time, two-way voice communications; (b) requires a broadband connection from the user's location; (c) requires internet protocol-compatible customer premises equipment; and (d) permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the PSTN and to terminate calls on the PSTN.
In the time passed since that definition, however, whether or not it should be updated to allow for changes in technology has been debated widely by the FCC. Such changes would cover specific terms such as specifying an internet connection instead of a broadband connection.
It is without doubt that the debate over Voice over IP technology is going to carry on for many years to come. And as Voip systems and technologies continue to improve, the remit(s) for how they are defined will continue to be a source for debate and confusion.
But regardless of any problems that may be encountered in the near or distant future, the fact remains that Voice Over IP systems and their associated technologies are not going anywhere. And so, it would seem, the only logical thing to do is jump on the Voip bandwagon and begin taking advantage of cheaper calls, better audio quality and everything else that goes along with it, sooner rather than later.
All of those in the know are well aware of the ever increasing number of regulations which have been creeping in over the past eight years, and now, without doubt, 2012 looks set to be the most regulation heavy year yet.
Ever since the 'interconnected Voip service' regulations were introduced, any provider offering this service has been hit with a plethora of FCC regulatory requirements. And now, just a few years later, two-way Voice Over Internet Protocol service providers are faced with a set of regulations almost as severe as standard telephone services.
In 2012 the US Congress further signalled their intentions to codify the contribution duties of interconnected as well as non-interconnected Voip providers with the introduction of the '21st Century Video and Communications Act'.
In 2004, 'Interconnected Voip Service' was defined by the FCC as being a service that; (a) enables real-time, two-way voice communications; (b) requires a broadband connection from the user's location; (c) requires internet protocol-compatible customer premises equipment; and (d) permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the PSTN and to terminate calls on the PSTN.
In the time passed since that definition, however, whether or not it should be updated to allow for changes in technology has been debated widely by the FCC. Such changes would cover specific terms such as specifying an internet connection instead of a broadband connection.
It is without doubt that the debate over Voice over IP technology is going to carry on for many years to come. And as Voip systems and technologies continue to improve, the remit(s) for how they are defined will continue to be a source for debate and confusion.
But regardless of any problems that may be encountered in the near or distant future, the fact remains that Voice Over IP systems and their associated technologies are not going anywhere. And so, it would seem, the only logical thing to do is jump on the Voip bandwagon and begin taking advantage of cheaper calls, better audio quality and everything else that goes along with it, sooner rather than later.
About the Author:
Saul Saresi writes regularly about Voip systems and technology for his website which can be found here asterisk previous examples of his research and writing can also be found here video calls