Talk of Rewriting Telecom Legislation Sparks Fears that Congress Could Make Things Worse

Mr. [Glenn A. Britt] concurred that the FCC should apply "as light regulation as possible" to VoIP technology but should also address how VoIP service providers will fulfill the social obligations imposed on other voice carriers, including law enforcement wiretaps, enhanced "911"...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Telecommunications Reports 2004-09, Vol.70 (17), p.14
Main Author: Boles, Margaret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Changes
Chief executive officers
Communications networks
Competitive local exchange carriers
Conferences
Congressional committees
Internet Protocol
Legislation
Regulation
Telecommunications industry
Telecommunications policy
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Mr. [Glenn A. Britt] concurred that the FCC should apply "as light regulation as possible" to VoIP technology but should also address how VoIP service providers will fulfill the social obligations imposed on other voice carriers, including law enforcement wiretaps, enhanced "911" service, and universal service. "Beyond that," he said, "we need to let it go." 'The current law is broken," he said. "Not because of bad legislation but because of outdated legislation. It just does not match market realities." Congress, he said, should look at making changes to current law more "surgically" (see separate story). "Just tackling IP and Internet communications is a good place to start," Chairman [Michael K. Powell] offered. Walter B. McCormick Jr., president and chief executive officer of USTA, who appeared on the panel with Mr. [John D. Windhausen Jr.], said he was "pleased" to hear several Aspen Summit attendees, including Chairman Powell, speak of the need for "certainty." He said USTA was "trying to do its part" by filing the writ of mandamus. 'The next great transformational infrastructure is here," and regulators need to apply a "light touch" to ensure the growth of emerging technologies, he said. There needs to be public and private funding and support for new technologies, which will thrive in an environment that promotes "innovation at the Internet's core," as well as "industry-led standards and technology-agnostic platforms," he said.
ISSN:0163-9854