WASHINGTON-New legislation introduced by Reps. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Rick Boucher (D-Va.) would give federal regulators unfettered oversight of Voice-over-Internet-Protocol applications, while requiring service providers to compensate Bell telephone giants for connections and preserving existing social programs and emergency calling for consumers.
The Advanced Internet Communications Services Act of 2004 outlines for the Federal Communications Commission procedures to promote investment and innovation in the deployment of advanced applications such as VoIP, while maintaining core public policies that impose limited obligations on AICS providers that offer voice communications.
VoIP has the potential to cause disruption throughout the telecom industry, including the wireless sector.
“In 2003, the State of Florida chose to allow VoIP to develop free from unnecessary regulation. The legislature felt that such action was in the public interest, and I believe it was the proper course of action,” said Stearns. “This bill goes a step further by removing advanced Internet communications services from debate that exists in whether to classify AICS as an information service or telecommunications service. Furthermore, by establishing that AICS are interstate services, we eliminate the regulatory uncertainty of a myriad of different state regulatory approaches, which would impede investment in these new services,” he added.
Stearns and Boucher are members of the House Commerce subcommittee on telecom and the Internet, which held a hearing today on the future of VoIP policy.
The Stearns-Boucher measure adds to the mix of VoIP legislation, which generally seeks to limit or eliminate state regulation but that differs in other key areas.
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) and Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) also have sponsored VoIP legislation, while the FCC and various states develop rules.
“The measure which Mr. Stearns and I are introducing today (Tuesday) will enable the expedited deployment of AICS services by placing all authority over these services at the federal level, treating all providers of the service equally under federal law and applying a light regulatory touch which will encourage investment in, and deployment of, AICS on various Internet platforms,” Boucher said. “At the same time, our measure will impose targeted responsibilities on AICS voice providers to assure that universal service funding is sustained, that E-911 services are maintained, that owners of the public switched network are compensated when their facilities are utilized for the termination of Internet-enabled voice calls and that individuals with disabilities can be assured of access,” he added.
The Bush administration is wrestling internally over the FBI’s desires to subject VoIP to wiretap obligations.
