Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Federal Appeals Court Sides With VoIP Providers

Posted by timothy on from the semantics-sometimes-important dept.

gollum123 writes "AP reports that the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling by a lower court that A Minnesota agency may not regulate calls through VoIP as it does calls through traditional phone lines. 'The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission had argued that VoIP companies were providing phone-like service and therefore should be regulated as phone companies are. But those businesses said they provide an information service rather than a telecommunications service. This follows the FCC saying that VOIP cannot be regulated using the same rules as traditional phone.'"

2 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Legalese in my favor for once. by sanityspeech · · Score: 2, Funny

    When I call my family using VoIP, they can't tell the difference.Who would have thought making calls across the atlantic would be much cheaper than calling someone across town on a payphone?

    I don't care what they decide to call it. I'm just glad it's dirt cheap.

  2. load of bull?-Smells like a Bull. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    "Um, maybe they should not be classified as a phone system is because they are not a phone system. "

    Walks like a duck. Talks like a duck, but oh no. For Slashdot purposes. It's not a duck.

    Also this classification may mean that VoIP will not enjoy some of the same legal protections that phone enjoys. e.g. illegal wiretapping.