It was too good not to post. Re: VoIP Regulation is NOT a Deal-Breaker for VoIP Adoption By Rich Tehrani, Group Editor-in-Chief, INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine. Dear Mr. Tehrani: I couldn't help but call my high school son and daughter to show them this shameless propaganda for your advertisers. Your assertion that we, the end users, should focus mostly on features and capabilities rather than cost does a huge disservice to even your primary audience (the telecom vendor community). Do you not realize that regulatory red tape and parasitic fees/ taxes limit the entire market? One glance at DSL in the US vs. elsewhere in the world should convince you. In our town the ILEC portion of a business phone bill is LESS THAN HALF the total bill! Even a "101" economics student can tell you that the more you tax and regulate something the less you get of that product or service. We are at a historic tipping point. Governments should tax us directly rather than deceitfully getting third parties to do their dirty work. The PCC's Michael Powell is right, but doesn't go far enough.
There should not be any fees or taxes added to VoIP, not even 911 "surcharges". If the public saw the entire burden of government in just one place, a VAT that would choke a horse imposed every time they buy something, then maybe the outrage would prompt fewer programs, less government waste and, dare we dream, fewer politicians. At this crucial juncture focus wholly on the "prize" of a market utterly unfettered of government manipulation. After that battle is won you can then resume your public relations e-mails on behalf of your advertisers. Sincerely,
Matt Nations
Southlake, Texas