The draft VoIP Regulatory Freedom Act, introduced into the
Senate in April by Republican Senator John Sununu, was intended to
reserve the right to regulate IP telephony, also known as VoIP or
Voice over Internet Protocol, to Federal Government.
But two amendments, introduced respectively by Republican
Senator Conrad Burns and Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan, mean that
US states will now be able to force VoIP companies to provide
emergency 911 services, to contribute to the funding of low income
or rural-based subscribers, through what are known as universal
service fees, and to pay intra-state access charges.
According to Sununu, "This is an important step forward, and a
small victory in the effort to establish a clear and limited
regulatory framework for IP services like VoIP".
"Despite the addition of two amendments, the basic message is
clear: Congress does not want states implementing new regulations
that will inhibit this emerging technology," he added.
Sununu added his own amendment to his draft in an attempt to
satisfy critics, giving the Act a time limit of only three
years.
The draft now has to go before the whole Senate for
consideration.
See: Draft VoIP
Regulatory Freedom Act (9-page PDF)
