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FCC Forum Divided on Future VoIP Regulation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-a-question-of-if dept.

ElCheapo writes "As the great philosopher Eminem once said, 'The FCC won't let [VoIP] be, or let [VoIP] be free.' In Washington today, the FCC held a public forum 'to gather information concerning advancements, innovations, and regulatory issues related to VoIP services.' Slashdot has seen numerous stories on VoIP regulation recently, but Tom Evslin, CEO of ITXC, brought up another point: If VoIP is over-regulated, it will not go away, it will just move to other countries and reach the point where regulation can no longer be enforced. With or without VoIP regulation, will a global P2P (PSTN-connected) voice network emerge? Will it start out as hobbyists setting up Asterisk Open Source PBX boxes connected to their home POTS line? Will some form of ENUM allow least cost routing to boxes sitting in basements and garages around the world? If an ITSP in Europe can setup an Asterisk box with PSTN access and start offering US phone numbers and vice-versa, will global number plans become obsolete? What effect will the ridiculously low barrier to entry for VoIP have on telecommunications?"

3 of 232 comments (clear)

  1. Just The Facts by Pave+Low · · Score: 5, Informative
    For those who want to know what the issue is about, instead of scanning the submitter's poor writeup filled with his slant and myriad questions, here's a better article on what's going on.

    FCC Chairman Powell Opposes Internet Phone Regulation.

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    SIG:Slashdot: indymedia for nerds.
  2. POTS/PSTN Defined by romper · · Score: 5, Informative

    For non-telco-speaking Slashdotters..

    POTS = Plain Old Telephone System
    PSTN = Public Switched Telephone Network

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    Right is wrong when left is right.
  3. Re:Asterix - VoIP for me? by RustyTaco · · Score: 4, Informative

    Debian, check, Asterisk, check, modem, no. Digum single line FXS card, yes. And if you throw a single line FXO card in too you can plug your phone into the FXS, PTSN line into the FXO, and configure asterisk to route what it can (friends, etc) over some sort of VoIP(H323, SIP, IAX, etc) and everything else out the PTSN line.

    As an uber bonus you get voicemail and can then to spiffy menus and skrew with people just like call centers like to you, complete with MP3 hold music. "I value your call, please hold." "I'm not answering right now, press one to leave a message, press 2 to page my cell phone with your caller ID info..." etc. Hell, you can even use CallerID to decide how to answer calls. Work=>strait to voicemail, girlfriend (Hey! It could happen) => play a special message and ring the phone with a distinctive ring. Ex-girlfriend=>"This number has been disconnected, or is not in service".

    It's almost enough to make me want a land line ;)

    - RustyTaco