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.
And change they have. Regulations have been creeping in at an ever increasing rate over the past few years, with 2012 set to be the most active regulatory year yet; prompting fears that the industry will soon become as heavily regulated as that of the traditional telephone service.
Many believe that the regulatory crackdown started when the 'Interconnected Voip Service' regulations were introduced, resulting in any provider of this service being hit with a melee of FCC regulatory requirements similar to the regulations governing standard phone services.
When the '21st Century Communications and Video Act' was passed by the US Congress in 2010, it signalled their intentions to codify the contribution duties of non-interconnected as well as interconnected Voip providers.
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.
Whatever regulations are deemed fit to be introduced and modified in the coming months, the debate over Voice over IP technology is going to continue for many years to come, as the technology improves and the goalposts that define what is and is not relevant to Voip systems continue to move.
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.
And change they have. Regulations have been creeping in at an ever increasing rate over the past few years, with 2012 set to be the most active regulatory year yet; prompting fears that the industry will soon become as heavily regulated as that of the traditional telephone service.
Many believe that the regulatory crackdown started when the 'Interconnected Voip Service' regulations were introduced, resulting in any provider of this service being hit with a melee of FCC regulatory requirements similar to the regulations governing standard phone services.
When the '21st Century Communications and Video Act' was passed by the US Congress in 2010, it signalled their intentions to codify the contribution duties of non-interconnected as well as interconnected Voip providers.
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.
Whatever regulations are deemed fit to be introduced and modified in the coming months, the debate over Voice over IP technology is going to continue for many years to come, as the technology improves and the goalposts that define what is and is not relevant to Voip systems continue to move.
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
The Communication Blog
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