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New York State Classifies Vonage As Phone Company
securitas writes "CNet's Evan Hansen reports that on Wednesday, the New York State Public Service Commission 'ruled that Vonage Holdings is a telephone company and thus subject to state regulation.' The decision is seen as a blow against the emerging voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) company and the industry in general."
Sounds like a bad call to me!
"only minimal regulations to ensure that it does not interfere with the rapid, widespread deployment of new technologies."
Riiiight. Because when you hand a new area of legislation to a bunch of bureaucrats the last thing on their minds is interfering.
Watch this space for a long list of restrictive and unneccesary regulations being pushed through by people who haven't suddenly become the phone companies best friends, oh no.
Hmmm...
1) Spot a new area of technology that threatens entrenched interests.
2) Start to legislate on it.
3) Let it be known your decision could be swayed either way.
4) PROFIT!!!
'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
They gonna start regulating in-game voice communication software? Pay a tax for every time I say "die n00b" to a Doom3 opponent?
When was the last time a Government Agency applied "only minimal regulations" to anything?
Environmental protection, mental health care, the Microsoft antitrust case, food safety inspections, just about anything where megacorporations are involved...