There has been a good deal of buzz on the net regarding Kevin Martin's comments on forcing the VoIP industry to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF). There are many things that concern me with these comments.
The USF has been plagued with scandal and worse, who is really sure where this money goes? There are so many loopholes in the system that corruption was a problem waiting to happen. Worse, a lot of LECs benefit enormously from the fund and potentially use this money to lobby against having telecom competition.
So the government is forcing taxpayers to contribute to a fund that kills competition. I am not sure I get the logic here.
Mr. Martin is reported as saying all phone numbers should be paying into the fund regardless of underlying technology. As soon as this happens there will be a massive push to ENUM and people will bypass phone numbers altogether. We really don't need phone numbers and taxing them is illogical.
Worse, are we going to tax US based numbers? All phone numbers? If we tax US based numbers then how many people will switch their phone numbers to international numbers? How will we police this?
The world is changing. VoIP is changing it and the old rules don't apply. Making blanket statements about phone numbers in a world where phone numbers have less and less meaning will just push the market further and faster away from phone numbers. Then what do we do?
The answer is to get the money from broadband providers and not try to tax individual services over the lines. Another idea is to get the money from somewhere else altogether. Lower telecom rates are good for consumers and trying to skim money from an industry that can't support it is bad business. With all due respect to Chairman Martin, these comments show he is thinking about the market as it exists today and not as it will soon exist tomorrow. I am 100% against forcing VoIP providers to contribute into a potentially corrupt fund. VoIP is now just an application and doesn't require or deserve any special government penalties.
VoIP and the Universal Service Fund
The opinions and views expressed in comments, blogs, etc. are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of TMC, TMCnet, or its editors. TMCnet reserves the right to edit, delete, or otherwise make changes to the content that appears on these pages at its own discretion and as it deems necessary.
December 14, 2005 6:33 PM
|
0 Comments
| 0 TrackBacks
Categories:
Tags:
- fcc,
- martin,
- usf,
- voip Related Tags: phone numbers, universal service, based numbers, numbers, phone, money
- Related Entries to VoIP and the Universal Service Fund
- The USF Wants You! - Jun 02, 2006
- Internet Telephony Magazine April 2006 Publisher's Outlook - Mar 26, 2006
- The Browser is the Computer - Aug 10, 2009
- TMCnet Adds 40th Blogger, Keeps Growing - Feb 24, 2009
- Why Wireless Carterfone is Needed - Sep 10, 2008
- Will LTE Fuel IMS? - Jun 03, 2008
- AT&T Webinar Focuses on Hosted Market - May 20, 2008
- Sending out an SMS - Apr 11, 2008
- Comcast Gets Kevin Martin's Wrath - Mar 10, 2008
- TMCnet Services - Mar 03, 2008
Listed below are links to sites that reference VoIP and the Universal Service Fund:
VoIP and the Universal Service Fund TrackBack URL : http://blog.tmcnet.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/21107
Search
Related Entries
- The USF Wants You!
- Internet Telephony Magazine April 2006 Publisher's Outlook
- The Browser is the Computer
- TMCnet Adds 40th Blogger, Keeps Growing
- Why Wireless Carterfone is Needed
- Will LTE Fuel IMS?
- AT&T Webinar Focuses on Hosted Market
- Sending out an SMS
- Comcast Gets Kevin Martin's Wrath
- TMCnet Services
Find Me Elsewhere
Recent Activity
Today
- Rich Tehrani tweeted, "Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might: For the record, Google Guide is not a product or service develope... http://bit.ly/idsyt" Rich Tehrani tweeted, "Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might: For the record, Google Guide is not a product or service develope... http://bit.ly/idsyt" Rich Tehrani tweeted, "Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might: For the record, Google Guide is not a product or service develope... http://bit.ly/idsyt" 2009-11-08T18:56:30Z 2009-11-08T18:56:30Z
- Rich Tehrani posted Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might Rich Tehrani posted Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might Rich Tehrani posted Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might 2009-11-08T18:45:06Z 2009-11-08T18:42:31Z
Saturday
-
Rich Tehrani shared iPass Unveils Open Device Framework from sip-trunking.tmcnet.com
Rich Tehrani shared iPass Unveils Open Device Framework from sip-trunking.tmcnet.com
Rich Tehrani shared iPass Unveils Open Device Framework from sip-trunking.tmcnet.com
2009-11-07T21:54:33Z
2009-11-07T21:54:33Z
I am a happy iPass user. The service works great in the US and overseas. - Rich Tehrani shared Step Aside, Kindle -- Nook Has Android on Its Side from PC World Latest Technology News Rich Tehrani shared Step Aside, Kindle -- Nook Has Android on Its Side from PC World Latest Technology News Rich Tehrani shared Step Aside, Kindle -- Nook Has Android on Its Side from PC World Latest Technology News 2009-11-07T19:22:10Z 2009-11-07T19:22:10Z
- Rich Tehrani shared Motorola's Droid: 4 Reasons to Buy, 1 Reason to Duck from PC World Latest Technology News Rich Tehrani shared Motorola's Droid: 4 Reasons to Buy, 1 Reason to Duck from PC World Latest Technology News Rich Tehrani shared Motorola's Droid: 4 Reasons to Buy, 1 Reason to Duck from PC World Latest Technology News 2009-11-07T19:22:10Z 2009-11-07T19:22:10Z
- Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology 2009-11-07T14:01:16Z 2009-11-07T14:01:16Z
Friday
- Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology Rich Tehrani commented on Deciphering xG Technology 2009-11-07T03:29:12Z 2009-11-07T03:29:12Z
- Rich Tehrani shared Business Phone Systems: Report Finds UC Investment Pays for Itself from www.tmcnet.com Rich Tehrani shared Business Phone Systems: Report Finds UC Investment Pays for Itself from www.tmcnet.com Rich Tehrani shared Business Phone Systems: Report Finds UC Investment Pays for Itself from www.tmcnet.com 2009-11-06T22:39:34Z 2009-11-06T22:39:34Z
Recent Entries
- Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide Might
- ITEXPO Keynoters Announced
- Adtran Acquires Objectworld
- Speaking at Adtran Event This Week
- Why Silicon Valley won The Tech War with Boston
- Blackberry Storm 2 Analyzed
- Google Maps Navigation Analysis
- Speaking at VoIP Conference and Expo 2009
- Book Review: Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com
- Boingo on Blackberry
- TMC Adds Important New Business Development Position
- Supercomm 2009 Update
Recent Comments
- cram: What's the Treco v. Kromka case about? (I don't have read more
- chezhanson: (continued) The most interesting thing about it is that nothing read more
- chezhanson: And to answer your other question Marc, the department I read more
- Ethan: The lawsuit must be Treco v. Kromka: http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-flsdce/case_no-1:2009cv22987/case_id-344282/ read more
- chezhanson: "Ex-employees say Bobier is a genius Ex-employees say Bobier is read more
- abdul jaleel.m: i got some problem in google talk becoz when i read more
- anon: Hey Chez, Bart and Ugly, check this out! Ex-employees say read more
- anon: What lawsuits, slanty? read more
- Backbooner: xG has nothing and the the lawsuit just tells how read more
- anon: Donger, that doesn´t make the cash any less green. Let´s read more
Subscribe to Blog
Categories
- 4G (373)
- AT&T (773)
- Apple (680)
- Avaya (354)
- Blackberry (399)
- Call Center (887)
- Cisco (563)
- Communications Developer (324)
- Conference (200)
- Consumer Electronics (1194)
- E-Commerce (362)
- FCC (825)
- Fax (221)
- Financial (276)
- Gadget (398)
- Google (757)
- Green (217)
- HD Voice (25)
- IP Communications (2171)
- M2M (5)
- Merger/Acquisition (176)
- Microsoft (997)
- Musings (64)
- Nortel (352)
- Optical (102)
- Patent (160)
- Personal (232)
- Podcast (93)
- SaaS (113)
- Satellite (7)
- Science (232)
- Search (96)
- Security (460)
- Smart Ecosystem (16)
- Smart Grid (37)
- Social Networking (234)
- TMC Team (96)
- TMC Video (48)
- TMCnet (48)
- Technology (2437)
- Unified Communications (1001)
- Verizon (609)
- Video (989)
- Virtual Worlds (137)
- VoIP (3057)
- Vonage (334)
- Yahoo (246)
Blogroll
- Rich Tehrani
- Greg Galitzine
- Network Observations
- VoIP Monitor
- TopBlogPosts
- PhoneArea
- The VoIP Weblog
- The Gadgeteer
- Asterisk VoIP Blog
- Irwin Lazar's Real-Time Blog
- Richard Stastny's VoIP and Enum
- IP Inferno
- James Seng blog
- SmithOnVoIP
- Aswath Weblog
- Luca Filigheddu
- Gadget for girls
- The Third Screen
- Gadget & Gift Blog
- Cordless Phone Reviews
- VoIP Guides
- HDTV Lounge
- Voip Service Provider
- Shoretel Forums
- VoIP news
- Andy Abramson
- Interesting Links
- VoIP News
- VoIP Reviews
Category Archives
- 2009
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov - 2008
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 2007
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 2006
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 2005
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - 2004
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Sign In
Around TMCnet Blogs
Communications and Technology Blog - Tehrani.com:
Droid Won't Kill the iPhone But Google Guide MightOn Rad's Radar?:
Onboarding a VoIP CustomerVoIP & Gadgets Blog:
Mashup Google Wave, Skype, and Asterisk = Ultimate CoolnessCommunications and Technology Blog - Tehrani.com:
Skype Lawsuit Settled, Skype/Ning Integration Has Huge PotentialFirst Coffee:
New Entertainment, Ringtone Tanking, ShareMethods on AppEx, Home AgentsOn Rad's Radar?:
Where Has the Integrity Gone?The Readerboard:
Do We Need Contact Centers?VoIP & Gadgets Blog:
Skype Battle Nears End


Technorati
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Digg
twitter
Leave a comment