It's been a while coming, but ever since all fifty US states were pre-empted by the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) back in 2004 from regulating Vonage, the Voip world has been counting the days until the regulations are changed
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.
Originally defined in 2004 by the FCC, the term 'Interconnected Voip Service' has three main parts, namely: 1) it allows for real-time, two-way voice communications, 2) the requirement of customer premises equipment that is internet protocol compatible and 3) requires a broadband connection from the users' location.
In the years since this definition, the FCC has been debating whether it should be updated to allow for changes in technology, such as specifying an 'internet connection' as opposed to a 'broadband connection' and 'connectivity' as the ability to connect calls to U.S. E.164 numbers instead of PSTN.
The debate over Voice Over Internet Technology shows no signs of slowing up and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future as the technology behind internet telephony continues to increase and the definitions thereof will be placed under ever closer inspection and scrutiny.
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.
Originally defined in 2004 by the FCC, the term 'Interconnected Voip Service' has three main parts, namely: 1) it allows for real-time, two-way voice communications, 2) the requirement of customer premises equipment that is internet protocol compatible and 3) requires a broadband connection from the users' location.
In the years since this definition, the FCC has been debating whether it should be updated to allow for changes in technology, such as specifying an 'internet connection' as opposed to a 'broadband connection' and 'connectivity' as the ability to connect calls to U.S. E.164 numbers instead of PSTN.
The debate over Voice Over Internet Technology shows no signs of slowing up and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future as the technology behind internet telephony continues to increase and the definitions thereof will be placed under ever closer inspection and scrutiny.
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 business telephone system
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