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VoIP Receives Warm Reception From UK Regulators

Posted by timothy on from the adam-smith's-spinning-slows-momentarily dept.

"In stark contrast to the U.S., where VoIP providers may be stifled by wiretap costs, the UK telecoms regulators seem to be welcoming the technology. The BBC is reporting that a block of phone numbers have been assigned to VoIP users -- and that Ofcom, the regulators, have said 'Our first task as regulator is to keep out of the way.'

6 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Full text of consultation by mishmash · · Score: 4, Informative
    Full text of UK OFCOM VOIP consultation , which contains 12 Questions which the Ofcom want comments on...

    Which include - What does the future hold? and Have we forgotton about anything?

    One thing I'd say they don't discuss is vunerbility to things like DDOS attacks... they also don't comment on phone tapping (Though that's covered in other legislation it would be good to have included the relavant pointer here)

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  2. Re:a nice idea, but it won't last by mishmash · · Score: 4, Informative
    "The European Commission has published a paper in June 2004 on the regulation of Voice over IP services but this does not give clarity on some key legal issues. The Commission has indicated that it will give more clarification on this matter later in the year. " from ofcom

    In the UK we don't have control over the laws on this sort of thing anymore, we are just waiting for European guidence to be issued which we will then have to follow if it's in our interests or not. This is just intermediatry guidence while we wait for the European machine to come up with something - though perhaps it does put us in a good position to shape what that something is.

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  3. Re:Expect ISP rates to rise by paedobear · · Score: 5, Informative

    You do realise this is a post about the UK don't you. Most countries don't have the long distance / local provider thing you Americans do. I mean there are cheap calling cards, but those are a little different.

  4. Re:BT? by gowen · · Score: 4, Informative
    Oftel pipes up and says "that's abusing your position, and unfair to the smaller telcos who can't compete"
    No, what they said was "You can do that as soon as there's a free market, and not while you're a de facto monopoly for certain services: i.e. after you've unbundled the local loop."

    BT then said, "Oh no, thats still a massive cash cow, and we thoroughly intend to continue to drag our feet over it."
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    Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
  5. Re:Yes but... by perly-king-69 · · Score: 5, Informative

    This page gives a graphical indication of where MP's stand based on their voting record in the current parliament.
    Blunkett is a long way out from the vast majority of the Labour party.

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    This sig is inoffensive.

  6. Re:Expect ISP rates to rise by doodlelogic · · Score: 4, Informative

    Grandparent: Most countries don't have the long distance / local provider thing you Americans do.

    Parent: What, you just have one monopolistic corporation that controls both local and long distance calling? Sounds like AT&T before 1984.

    The bigger difference in charging in the UK compared to the US is that we don't have the cross-subsidisation of "free local calls".

    Given the smallness of the island, most but not all UK providers have reduced their long distance call rates to the same level as their local calls. Many packages offer free national calls. An important source of revenue these days is calls to mobile phones, which are charged at a much steeper rate. (The UK operates a strict calling party pays approach).

    BT customers do have the option to go to other providers either for all their services. Many do. Others offer calling cards for international calls, calls to mobiles and local calls.