FCC to Look at Phone Firms' Use of Internet to Carry Calls

Yahoo! News - Technology - WashingtonPost.Com ^ | Sat Nov 29,12:00 AM ET | By Christopher Stern, Washington Post Staff Writer

[Bobby777]

The telecommunications industry, eager to find a route around a 100-year-old regulatory regime, has turned to a new path: the Internet.

In the month since a federal court in Minnesota ruled that calls delivered over the Internet are not subject to state regulation, Qwest Communications International Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and SBC Communications Inc. have announced intentions to beef up their ability to deliver phone calls over their data networks.

The Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) traditionally has had a hands-off policy when it comes to regulating the Internet. But on Monday, it will hold its first hearing in its effort to decide whether it needs to step into an issue that has the potential to transform the industry.

[Bobby777]

excerpted because it's Washington Post through Yahoo!

[Bobby777]

Hope this is posted in accordance with rules. FYI

[Admin Moderator]

Looks fine. Thanks.

[dasboot]

But on Monday, it will hold its first hearing in its effort to decide whether it needs to step into an issue that has the potential to transform the industry

If you drive your car, I'll tax the street;

If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet....

[sigSEGV]

This would be a disaster if this ever happened. It would put in place the technological means of taxing whatever protocols the government decided they wanted revenue from -- email, etc.

[Bobby777]

yep, it's a shame ... because it's going to bring the FCC in ... for telemarketing ... like spammers, these people cannot go where not invited and abuse the privilege ...

[Bobby777]

BTW, Stevie Ray Vaughn did a great version of "Taxman" ... but then, SRV was quite a guitar player ...

[Just another Joe]

Sprint is already a step ahead of the rest.

They have been working on circuit to packet based technology for some time now.

[dasboot]

but then, SRV was quite a guitar player ...

SRV BUMP!!! (you play, too?)

[the invisib1e hand]

BTW, Stevie Ray Vaughn did a great version of "Taxman" ...

I forgot about that. Heard 'Crossfire' the other day. What a great message to leave us with.

[CIB-173RDABN]

I have a phone on my desk. It looks just like the multibutton keysets found in my office. The only difference is that I plugged it in to my cable modem. I am not using a "carrier" such as verizon, or AT&T. How will the FCC even know I have this phone?

Answer, they won't. The genie is out of the bottle. They are going to have a difficult time stuffing it back in.

[stylin19a]

If I have Voice over DSL, how would they know if I make any phone calls ?

What is at risk is:
it could raise questions about the future of the Universal Service Fund, a $6 billion federal program funded by telephone fees that subsidizes phone service in rural areas and Internet service for schools.

Do any Freeprs had any first hand knowledge/benefit from the sinkhole known as The Universal Service Fund ?...

6 billion sounds like a lot, but it seems this fund should have way more money in it. Every local & long distance and cell phone bill gets taxed every month for this fund. I wonder where the money actually goes ?

[Bobby777]

not that well ... never got much above a rookie ... I have an '81 Cherry Sunburts Les Paul Custom plus a nice Peavey Backstage amp ... also a Kustom set with 2 15" JBL's ...

but I do have the SRV DVD from Austin ... cool ... and an extra DVD Greatest Hits ... got the 2nd at a bargain price brand new off ebay ... "Couldn't Stand the Weather" I think is my fave ...

[Bobby777]

yeah ... I never listened closely to the words of "Crossfire" until about 1996 or so ... pretty cool how he laid that in ...

[Bobby777]

where do you get such a phone? cool ...

[Bobby777]

Crossfire Stevie Ray Vaughn


Verse 1

E7

Day by day night after night


Blinded by the neon lights


Hurry here hustlin' there


No one's got the time to spare


Money's tight nothin' free


Won't somebody come and rescue me ?


Chorus


I am stranded Caught in the crossfire


(I am) stranded Caught in the crossfire !


Verse 2


Tooth for tooth eye for an eye


sell you soul just to buy, buy, buy


Beggin' a dollar stealin' a dime


Come on can't you see that I


Chorus


Bridge

G A

I need some kind of kindness

G A

some kind of sympathy oh no !

E7 A

We're stranded Caught in the crossfire !


Guitar Solo (24 bars) ( repeat main lick 8 times)


Verse 3


Save the strong lose the weak


Never turning the other cheek


Trust nobody don't be no fool

Whatever happened to the Golden Rule ?


We've got stranded Caught in the Cross Fire

We've got stranded Caught in the Cross Fire

We've got stranded Caught in the Cross Fire

Stranded Caught in the Cross Fire

Help me !!

Guitar Solo

[Lazamataz]

Do any Freeprs had any first hand knowledge/benefit from the sinkhole known as The Universal Service Fund ?... 6 billion sounds like a lot, but it seems this fund should have way more money in it. Every local & long distance and cell phone bill gets taxed every month for this fund. I wonder where the money actually goes ?

Yes. It's phone welfare. The money goes to indigent people for phones and internet.

[StriperSniper]

I don't know if it's the same thing, but my cable provider is offering phone service now:

Optimum voice

I don't have it, they have just been doing an ad blitz lately that brought it to my attention, one while I was reading this thread in fact.

[billbears]

Local cable company just started offering a service much like that here. I called and to tell the truth couldn't get an explanation on how it affected current phone service (i.e would I still be able to use my current phone, etc) How is that working for you?

[CIB-173RDABN]

Since some have expressed an interest in my IP phone I will tell you a little more.

The magic is done within the telephone system at my office (which is about 90 miles from where I live, but could be 900 miles, or 9,000 miles) does not make any difference.

My cable company is not even aware I have this phone, all they would know is data is being sent and received.

The phone is almost identical to the one on the desk at the office. I can do everything they can do. When I make a "local" call, it is actually local to my office. It would be long distance if I was to call my home number.

Up side, I work at home, and anyone in the office can call my extension number anytime day or night (if I did not put it in do not disturb at 5 pm, which I do).

Has nothing to do with my home phone line.

Down side, it is expensive. The IP card at the office is expensive, the phone is expensive.

When my internet connection goes down, the phone goes down.

Last, voice quaility varies. Some time it is excellent, most of the time it it ok, but sometimes (when internet traffic is high) it breaks up to the point you give up and use the land line. But when I think about the poor quaility I just think of all the money we are saving.

This is new technology, it will improve.

Now this is a business phone, but there are products on the market for home use, I don't know anything about them.

For any business's that may be interested, just talk to your phone system provider. This is the hotest thing since touch tone, and all major manufacturer are in the game.