Ever since fifty US states were pre-empted from regulating Vonage by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) back in 2004, the entire Voip industry has been biding its time in the knowledge that at some point the regulations would have to be changed.
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 2010 the US Congress made its voice heard by passing an act entitled the '21st Century Communications and Video Act'. This act not only codifies the contribution duties of interconnected Voip providers, but also extends the duty to non-interconnected 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.
But now, eight years later, it seems clear - after much debate - that amendments need to be made in order to incorporate and allow for changes in technology, ie specifying an internet connection instead of a broadband connection, and 'connectivity' as the ability to connect calls to US E.164 numbers instead of just PTSN.
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 2010 the US Congress made its voice heard by passing an act entitled the '21st Century Communications and Video Act'. This act not only codifies the contribution duties of interconnected Voip providers, but also extends the duty to non-interconnected 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.
But now, eight years later, it seems clear - after much debate - that amendments need to be made in order to incorporate and allow for changes in technology, ie specifying an internet connection instead of a broadband connection, and 'connectivity' as the ability to connect calls to US E.164 numbers instead of just PTSN.
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 hosted phone system previous examples of his research and writing can also be found here business telephone system