Ever Wondered How Internet Telephony is Regulated?

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

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.

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.

The term \’Interconnected Voip Service\’ was originally defined by the FCC in 2004 in three main parts; (a) it requires a broadband connection from the users\’ location, (b) it enables real-time, two-way voice communications, and (c) it requires internet protocol-compatible customer premises equipment.

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.

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.

Saul Saresi writes regularly about Voip systems and technology for his website which can be found here video calls previous examples of his research and writing can also be found here business telephone system

Ever Wondered How Internet Telephony is Regulated?