FCC To Hold First VoIP Hearings; Rules in 2004

securitas writes "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will hold its first hearings on Internet telephony and VoIP regulation on Dec. 1 and plans to regulate VoIP by late 2004. A public comment period will follow the Dec. 1 meeting. Some say that it is overly ambitious to regulate VoIP by 2004, especially since FCC Commissioner Michael Powell does not have a strong reputation for clarifying complex issues - instead he has a reputation for confounding them. More at Internet.com and InternetWeek . FCC press release (PDF1|DOC1) and attached letter (PDF2|DOC2) to VoIP proponent Senator Ron Wyden, who sits on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee."

Comments

Re:Why

[BitGeek]

The FCC sees its job as controlling all communications between people. ALL of them.

IT will regulate anything it can get away with, given the current weakness of the constitution.

(If the constitution was strong, the FCC wouldn't exist, as they are a violation of the constitution by definition.)

The FCCs primary job is CENSORSHIP. This is why you can't get broadcast TV (a signal broadcast and owned by a local station) over satellite (Even though the local station and the satellite provider would like to give it to you.) The FCC censors your ability to get local TV.

The FCC will also regulate and censor any wireless technology.

The FCC just like every other agency of the government has NO BENEFIT TO SOCIETY. ITs only purpose is regulation and control.

As long as liberals want to weaken the constitution to exert control over people they don't like, they will be creating agencies like the FCC who will exceed their mandate and control as much of our lives as they can get away with. Republicans are not much better.

What do men in power want? More power.

Government is a disease masquarading as its own cure. The FCC creates problems, to justify its existence.

Getting around the FCC is why god invented encryption.

What are you going to do when the FCC bans encrypted voice communication without an FCC approved back door?

Re:Regulation not a universal evil

[BitGeek]

Yawn, another socialist who thinks without socialism, the free market would never develop the quality of service we have now.

OF course, and in fact, without regulation, we'd be able to simply pick up the phone and ask for the person we want to connect to.

10 digit dialing is not some kind of brilliant innovation that only the government can deliver.

GOVERNMENT, all government, is a DISEASE masquarading as its own cure. It holds the communications industry back for 10 years and then pretends to have given us the "progress" of 10 digit dialing.

With the internet, all these companies work together to carry packets for each others customers. IT would have happened the same way with the phones... only you'd be paying a hell of a lot less.

And, lets not forget, about %90 of what you pay in your phone bill are TAXES. %50 of the listed cost, and then another %40 hidden in the cost the phone company charges you.

So, in summary, we are paying thru the nose for technology that's about 40 years out of date.

Gotta love that government!