It is almost fashionable to categorically state that VoIP should be unregulated. Of course I don’t think so. Back in December 2003, I submitted to FCC my views on this topic. One of my concerns is related to protecting PSTN subscribers. This is what I wrote:
“There is one aspect that did not come up in the Forum that I would like to bring to your attention. What is the nature of a call between a VoIP user and a PSTN user? If, for the sake of argument it is decided that VoIP is an Information service, is the interworking call a telecommunications service or an information service? The reason this is important is the phone user has certain rights. Will they be preserved now? Should a VoIP provider facilitate Malicious Call Tracking? Can they? What happens to Do Not Call registry? Will it be preserved?”
Now a “telephony hacker” is helping to popularize the need for controlling interworking of VoIP and PSTN networks so that the normal expectations of PSTN users are not undermined. He points out that it is easy for a VoIP subscriber to undermine the integrity of Caller ID.
Posted by aswath at July 6, 2004 11:51 PM