FCC Exempts VoIP from state rules

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FCC Exempts VoIP from state rules

The Federal Communications Commission voted today to exempt Internet-based phone companies (Internet Telephony or VoIP) from state regulation, making Voice over Internet to fall under federal jurisdiction - a major victory for the VoIP industry. With the FCC having jurisdiction over Internet-based phone comapnies this could certainly help keep the VoIP industry "red hot" and inspire others to enter the market as well or investment/capital money to flow into the VoIP industry..

The FCC decision is likely to anger some local state officials who say the FCC is usurping local authority. In addition they are concerned that they can not collect revenue from VoIP providers to subsidize high-cost rural phone service. Indeed this is a devastating blow to state governments which have overseen telecom providers and relied on fees levied on the telecom providers. In fact, the Universal Service Fund is already short several hundred million dollars. It is expected that the FCC will increase a levy on phone companies to make up the difference.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell has been a strong proponent of VoIP and has called for minimal regulation of Internet-based phone services to encourage their growth. The FCC does however plan to regulate its own requirements that VoIP service providers offer 911 emergency services and make their networks wiretap-friendly for the FBI.

The FCC is looking to give similar protections to cable providers that provide phone services. Some pay state universal service charges to fund phone service in rural areas or pay fees to connect in-state toll calls to local phone companies. A ruling that includes the cable providers would allow them to compete on equal footing with Vonage and CallVantage. However, I have not read anything in the FCC ruling today that specifically mentions cable companies that provide Internet phone services. I'll have to get clarification from the FCC.

Here is the full decision followed by a statement from FCC Chairman Michael Powell as well as other FCC members:
FCC FINDS THAT VONAGE NOT SUBJECT TO PATCHWORK OF STATE REGULATIONS GOVERNING TELEPHONE COMPANIES
Commission Clears Way for Increased Investment In VoIP Services Like Vonage's
Washington, D.C. - The Federal Communications Commission declared today that a type of Internet telephony service offered by Vonage Holdings Corp. called DigitalVoice is not subject to traditional state public utility regulation. The Commission also stated that other types of IP-enabled services, such as those offered by cable companies, that have basic characteristics similar to DigitalVoice would also not be subject to traditional state public utility regulation.

The decision adds to the regulatory certainty the Commission began building with orders adopted earlier this year regarding Voice over Internet Protocol by making clear that this Commission, not the state commissions, has the responsibility and obligation to decide whether certain regulations apply to IP-enabled services. The Commission has the power to preempt state regulations that thwart or impede federal authority over interstate communications.

Acting on a petition from Vonage seeking federal preemption of an order by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the FCC found that the company's DigitalVoice service cannot practically be separated into intrastate and interstate components, precluding dual state and federal regulatory regimes. DigitalVoice customers can use their phones from a broadband connection anywhere in the world, making it difficult to determine whether a call is local, interstate or international in nature.

The Commission also found that regulations that would have been imposed by the Minnesota Commission were inconsistent with the FCC's deregulatory policies, and that preemption was consistent with federal law and policies intended to promote the continued development of the Internet, broadband and interactive services. Divergent state rules, regulations and licensing requirements could impede the rollout of such services that benefit consumers by providing them with more choice, competition and innovation.

The Minnesota Commission in August of 2003 concluded that Vonage's DigitalVoice was a telephone service for which Vonage was required to obtain a certificate of authority and meet other rules and regulations governing telephone companies in the state. One requirement was that Vonage provide emergency 911 service comparable to that provided by the incumbent phone companies. Although the Commission found that the Minnesota requirements must yield to the extent they bar entry, the Commission does not signal that Vonage may cease its efforts to develop workable solutions. The Commission looks forward to addressing public safety issues comprehensively, with the participation of our state and local colleagues, in the broader IP-Enabled Services Proceeding.

The Commission's order does not express an opinion about the applicability to Vonage of general laws in Minnesota governing taxation, fraud, commercial dealings, marketing, advertising and other business practices. But the Commission expects states to continue playing a vital role in protecting consumers from fraud, responding to complaints, and enforcing fair business practices.

The Commission noted that the question of whether DigitalVoice should be classified as an unregulated "information service" under the Communications Act or a telecommunications service will be addressed in the Commission's IP-Enabled Services Proceeding. The Commission will also address whether VoIP providers must provide access to the disabled, pay intercarrier compensation and contribute to the universal service fund, in the Commission's IP-Enabled Services Proceeding, which commenced in February of this year.
Action by the Commission November 9, 2004, by Memorandum Opinion and Order (FCC 04-267). Chairman Powell, Commissioners Abernathy, and Martin, with Commissioners Copps and Adelstein concurring. Separate statements issued by Chairman Powell, Commissioners Abernathy, Copps, and Adelstein.

SEPARATE STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MICHAEL K. POWELL

Re: Vonage Holdings Corporation Petition for Declaratory Ruling Concerning an Order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Memorandum Opinion and Order in WC Docket No. 03-211.

Since 1870 home telephone service has been essentially the same-two phones connected by a wire. This landmark order recognizes that a revolution has occurred. Internet voice services have cracked the 19th Century mold, to the great benefit of consumers. VoIP services certainly enable voice communications between two or more people, just as the traditional telephone network does, but that is where the similarity ends. Internet voice is an internet application that takes its place alongside email and instant messaging as an incredibly versatile tool for communicating with people all over the world. As such it has truly unique characteristics.

Internet Voice is More Personal: VOIP services allow people to dynamically structure the way they communicate and to customize and personalize messages in a way that is impossible with traditional telephones. Just as consumers personalize their cell phones with ring tones, pictures and applications, the same is possible with internet voice. Consumers have come to expect technology to be tailored to their preferences-"My Amazon," "My Tivo," "My Ipod." Internet voice, ushers in the era of "My Telephone." Adding enhancements to voice is no longer a highly complex and expensive modification to the network - now it is just a matter of adding to the next software release.

Internet Voice is Cheaper: Consumers always want to pay less and VOIP promises enormous value. Because of the efficient technology and underlying economics of the service, Consumers can expect flat rate prices, for unlimited services and features. Just as consumers have responded strongly to buckets of minutes at low fixed prices in mobile phone service, the same characteristics will bring these innovative pricing models to the wired phone world. The proof is in the pudding: VOIP is barely a few years old as a retail offering and providers have already cut prices several times to compete for consumers. VoIP providers have begun offering local and long-distance calling plans for as low as $14.99 and $19.99 per month. Most recently, Vonage and AT&T slashed the monthly prices of their unlimited local and long-distance calling plans by $5 per month. If we let competition and innovation rage, unencumbered by the high cost of regulation, Consumers can expect more of the same-lower prices, more choice, and more innovative offerings.

Internet Voice is Global: Today's decision lays a jurisdictional foundation for what consumers already know - that the Internet is global in scope. The genius of the Internet is that it knows no boundaries. In cyberspace, distance is dead. Communication and information can race around the planet and back with ease. The Order recognizes that several technical factors demonstrate that VoIP services are unquestionably interstate in nature. VoIP services are nomadic and presence-oriented, making identification of the end points of any given communications session completely impractical and, frankly, unwise. In this sense, Internet applications such as VoIP are more border-busting than either long distance or mobile telephony- each inherently, and properly classified, interstate services.

To subject a global network to disparate local regulatory treatment by 51 different jurisdictions would be to destroy the very qualities that embody the technological marvel that is the Internet. The founding fathers understood the danger of crushing interstate commerce and enshrined the principle of federal jurisdiction over interstate services in the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. In the same vein, Congress rightly recognized the borderless nature of mobile telephone service and classified it an interstate communication. VOIP properly stands in this category and the Commission is merely affirming the obvious in reaching today's jurisdictional decision.

This is not to say that there is no governmental interest in VOIP. There will remain very important questions about emergency services, consumer protections from waste, fraud and abuse and recovering the fair costs of the network. It is not true that states are or should be complete bystanders with regard to these issues. Indeed, there is a long tradition of federal/state partnership in addressing such issues, even with regard to interstate services. For example, in long distance services, the FCC and state commissions have structured a true partnership to combat slamming and cramming. We have also worked closely with the states to strike a balance in the area of do-not-call enforcement. In the mobile services area, the FCC has worked closely with states on E911 implementation. With regard to critical 911 capability for VOIP, I note already that several Internet voice providers have entered into an agreement with the National Emergency Number Association to extend 911 capabilities to Internet voice services to "promote a fully functional 9-1-1 system that responds any time, anywhere from every device." Efforts such as these are essential to educating policy makers and providing a basis for solutions to complex technical problems. These can and will serve as models for VOIP.

While today's item preempts an order of the Minnesota Commission applying its traditional "telephone company" regulations to Vonage's DigitalVoice service, it is important that I emphasize that the Commission expresses no opinion here on the applicability to Vonage of state's general laws governing entities conducting business within the state, such as laws concerning taxation; fraud; general commercial dealings; marketing and advertising. Just as this ruling does not alter traditional state powers, we do not alter facilities-based competitor rights, or state authority pursuant to section 252 of the Act. It is my hope that the Commission's decision today will focus the debate and permit our colleagues in the industry and at the state commissions to direct their resources toward helping the Commission answer the important questions that remain after today's Order.

STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY

Re: Vonage Holdings Corporation Petition for Declaratory Ruling Concerning an Order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Memorandum Opinion and Order in WC Docket No. 03-211 (adopted Nov. 9, 2004).

This decision provides much-needed clarity regarding the jurisdictional status of Vonage’s DigitalVoice service and other VoIP services. By fencing off these services from unnecessary regulation, this Order will help unleash a torrent of innovation. Indeed, by facilitating the IP revolution, rather than erecting roadblocks, our action will drive greater broadband adoption and deployment, and thereby promote economic development and consumer welfare.

There is no doubt that VoIP services of the type provided by Vonage are inherently interstate in nature. As the Order describes in detail, several factors combine to make it impossible to isolate any intrastate-only component of such services. These factors include the architecture of packet-switched networks and the enhanced features that are offered as an integral part of VoIP services. Together, these attributes necessarily result in the interstate routing of at least some packets. These services are also marked ― in striking contrast to circuit-switched communications ― by a complete disconnect between the subscriber’s physical location and the ability to use the service. A subscriber’s physical location is not only unknown in many instances, but also completely irrelevant. Allowing state commissions to impose traditional public-utility regulations on these interstate communications services would frustrate important federal policy objectives, including the congressional directive to “preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet and other interactive computer services, unfettered by Federal or State regulation.”

Thus, while I do not lightly arrive at any decision to preempt state regulatory authority, I believe it is imperative for the Commission to do so here. Allowing the Minnesota utility regulations ― or comparable state regulations ― to stand would authorize a single state to establish default national rules for all VoIP providers, given the impossibility of isolating any intrastate-only component. Equally troubling is the prospect of subjecting providers of these innovative new services ― which are being rolled out on a regional, national, and even global scale ― to a patchwork of inconsistent state regulations. In short, failure to preempt state utility regulations would likely sound the death knell for many IP-enabled services and would deprive consumers of the cost savings and exciting features they can deliver.

As necessary as preemption may be, I want to underscore my view that our assertion of exclusive federal jurisdiction still permits states to play an important role in facilitating the rollout of IP-enabled services. To begin with, as the Order makes clear, states will continue to enforce generally applicable consumer protection laws, such as provisions barring fraud and deceptive trade practices. Moreover, I have often emphasized that, even where the FCC alone possesses the ultimate decisionmaking authority, this Commission and state regulators can and should collaborate in the development of sound policy ― much as we have done through our Federal-State Joint Boards and Joint Conferences, the approval of Section 271 applications, and in other contexts. Indeed, I am encouraged that an increasing number of state commissioners agree that “preemption . . . does not preclude collaboration with States on key issues including public safety, consumer protection and reform of intercarrier compensation and universal service.” These state commissioners further note that “clearly establishing the domain in which the regulatory treatment of IP-enabled services will be determined will facilitate resolution of these issues in a more streamlined manner and with less incentive for costly and protracted litigation.”

I also want to acknowledge the concerns expressed by commenters who argued that the Commission should resolve outstanding questions about access to E911, the preservation of universal service, and other important policy matters before addressing this jurisdictional issue. Ideally, the Commission would have decided the jurisdictional issue in tandem with the various rulemaking issues. But the decision of several states to impose utility regulations on VoIP services, and the ensuing litigation arising from such forays, makes it imperative for the Commission to establish our exclusive jurisdiction as the first order of business. This Commission runs significant risks if we remain on the sidelines and leave it to the courts to grapple with such issues of national import without the benefit of the expert agency’s views. Looking ahead, I agree that the Commission should proceed with the rulemaking on IP-enabled services as expeditiously as possible. We should adopt rules to the extent necessary to ensure the fulfillment of our core policy goals, including access to E911, the ability of law enforcement to conduct lawful surveillance, access for persons with disabilities, and the preservation of universal service. And we should provide a thorough and careful analysis of whether IP-enabled services are information services or telecommunications services, given the potentially far-reaching implications of that classification.

Finally, by the same token, I sympathize with parties who contend that the Commission should conclusively resolve the jurisdictional status of all VoIP services, rather than limiting our analysis to a subset of VoIP. I have endeavored to make our jurisdictional analysis as inclusive as possible, given the state of the record and the scope of the Declaratory Ruling Petition. This Order should make clear the Commission’s view that all VoIP services that integrate voice communications capabilities with enhanced features and entail the interstate routing of packets ― whether provided by application service providers, cable operators, LECs, or others ― will not be subject to state utility regulation.

STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS,
CONCURRING

Re: Vonage Holdings Corporation Petition for Declaratory Ruling Concerning an
Order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Memorandum Opinion and
Order (WC Docket No. 03-211)

We all marvel at the tremendous and transformative potential of IP services. They have the power significantly to remake the telecommunications landscape by flooding the market with innovative new services and providers. But to unleash the full potential of this new technology and to ensure that these services succeed, we need rules of the road—clear, predictable and confidence-building.

Today’s decision finds that VoIP services like Vonage’s DigitalVoice have an undeniably interstate character. That’s fine as far as it goes—but it doesn’t go very far. Proclaiming the service “interstate” does not mean that everything magically falls into place, the curtains are raised, the technology is liberated, and all questions are answered. There are, in fact, difficult and urgent questions flowing from our jurisdictional conclusion and they are no closer to an answer after we act today than they were before we walked in here. So rather than sailing boldly into a revolutionary new Voice Over communications era, we are, I think, still lying at anchor. By not supplying answers, we are clouding the future of new technology that has the power to carry us over the horizon.

So I can only concur in today’s decision. While I agree that traditional jurisdictional boundaries are eroding in our new Internet-centric world, we need a clear and comprehensive framework for addressing this new reality. Instead the Commission moves bit-by-bit through individual company petitions, in effect checking off business plans as they walk through the door. This is not the way we should be proceeding. We need a framework for all carriers and all services, not a stream of incremental decisions based on the needs of individual companies. We need a framework to explain the consequences for homeland security, public safety and 911. We need a framework for consumer protection. We need a framework to address intercarrier compensation, state and federal universal service, and the impact on rural America. But all I see coming out of this particular decision is . . . more questions.

The Commission’s constricted approach denies consumers, carriers, investors and state and local officials the clarity they deserve. These are not just my musings. A growing chorus of voices is urging the Commission to stop its cherry-picking approach to VoIP issues. When the National Governors Association, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, the National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, the United States Conference of Mayors, the Communications Workers of America, AARP, the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies, the Western Telecommunications Alliance, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, the National Consumers League and local directors of 911 service in cities and counties around the country all suggest that moving ahead in piecemeal fashion is irresponsible, I think we should take heed.

I want to point to language in this item—albeit it’s in a footnote—that warns people not to draw unwarranted conclusions from the narrow jurisdictional finding that we make. What we do today should not be interpreted as anything more than it is. Yes, Vonage’s DigitalVoice service has an interstate character. But what exactly that entails we do not say. All that important work lies ahead. Wouldn’t it be sad if we were to let it go at this, pretending we have done something truly responsive to the questions that need to be answered, and then not proceed to tackle the related issues quickly and comprehensively? And wouldn’t it be tragic if the blunt instrument of preemption was permitted to erode our partnership with the states? We have worked long and hard to nourish a common federal-state commitment to a pro-competitive telecommunications environment. This is no time to abandon that commitment.

Sometimes I wonder what the strategy is in this Commission’s approach to VoIP. Some warn that it may be a camel’s nose under the tent strategy, proceeding inch-by-inch to far-reaching conclusions that a more straight-forward approach could not sustain. I hope that is not the case and this decision should not be so interpreted. What I hope this decision does is to force us finally to face up to the larger issues. We are, after all, face-to-face here with issues that go to the very core of our statutory responsibilities. These issues can’t be ducked and they can’t be dodged if we are truly serious about these technologies realizing their full transformative potentials. So I’ll withhold my approval for that happy day when we step up to the plate and begin answering the hard questions about what these technologies and services are and how they fit into America’s communications landscape.

CONCURRING STATEMENT OF
JONATHAN S. ADELSTEIN

Re: Vonage Holdings Corporation Petition for Declaratory Ruling Concerning an Order of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, WC Docket No. 03-211, FCC 04-267 (2004).

While this Order rightly acknowledges the importance and unique qualities of Internet-based services, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, I am concerned that the Commission overlooks important public policy issues that will impact consumers across our country, and particularly in Rural America.

I concur to this item because it appropriately recognizes the unique nature of many IP-enabled services and the importance of reducing barriers to entry for Internet-based services. Indeed, I share my colleagues’ enthusiasm for the promise of Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled services. All indications are that IP is becoming the building block for the future of telecommunications and its use is integral to the explosion of choices for consumers. It is becoming increasingly apparent that IP-based services will play an important role in our global economic competitiveness, by enabling economic productivity, providing a platform for innovation, and driving demand for broadband facilities. Whether through PDA phones, voice through Instant Messaging, or countless other innovative services, this technology is giving customers far greater control over, and flexibility in the use of, their communications services. With that control, consumers can convert messages with ease from voice-to-text and back, and can take their IP-services wherever they go. Though I am not comfortable with all of the analysis in this item, the Order reasonably reflects the unique qualities of Vonage’s service and recognizes the challenges that this service poses for the Commission’s traditional jurisdictional analysis.

Where this Order falls short is its failure to account in a meaningful way for essential policy issues, including universal service, public safety, law enforcement, consumer privacy, disabilities access, and intercarrier compensation, and the effect of our preemption here. In February of this year, we opened a VoIP-specific rulemaking proceeding to address not only the issue raised here, the jurisdiction of IP-based services, but to address the broader implications of VoIP services in a comprehensive and coordinated fashion. At that time, we acknowledged the social importance of these Congressionally-mandated policy objectives and the need to assess the potentially disparate impact of our decisions on particular communities. I am concerned that this Order may have dramatic implications for these Congressional objectives, yet we afford them no meaningful or comprehensive consideration here. I am also concerned that our inability to specify the exact parameters of the services at issue and the breadth of our preemption will have unintended effects, including effects on incentives for investment in these technologies, that could have been avoided with a more comprehensive approach. I highlight, below, two of the most pressing concerns – universal service and public safety.

The Act charges this Commission with maintaining universal service, which is crucial in delivering communications services to our nation’s schools, libraries, low income consumers, and rural communities. Universal service has been the cornerstone of telecommunications policy for over 70 years and has enabled this country to enjoy unparalleled levels of access to essential communications services. That access has improved our economic productivity and our public safety in immeasurable ways and has been vital in fostering economic development in rural and underserved areas. The Act also expressly permits States to adopt consistent approaches to preserve and advance universal service. At least 24 States have answered that call, disbursing over $1.9 billion annually from their own universal service programs. Many of those States and other commenters express legitimate concern that our decision here could increase pressure on the federal universal service mechanisms and could potentially lead to rate increases for rural and low income consumers. With those reasons in mind, I’ve called for the Commission to quickly convene a universal service solutions summit modeled after the ones we’ve held for other public policy issues. Regrettably, this item does not acknowledge its potential impact on those programs, nor does it propose any solutions, or even make firm commitments to resolving these issues. We are left to hope that these unaddressed issues do not gridlock or curtail the full reach of the promised IP superhighway.

I also have reservations about our preemption of a State’s efforts to ensure the public safety of its citizens, based here on the linkage of the 911 requirement with a State certification. Our approach of overriding States’ public safety efforts without clear federal direction takes us into a dangerous territory in which consumers may come to rely on services without the benefit of the critical safety net that they have come to expect.

Ultimately, I cannot fully endorse an approach that leaves unanswered so many important questions about the future of communications services for so many Americans. Rural and low-income Americans, the countless governmental and public interest groups who have expressed concern about our piecemeal approach, and the communications industry, itself, all deserve more from this Commission. If this Commission is to ensure that innovative services are widely available and also achieve the important public policy goals that Congress has articulated, the Commission must begin to wrestle in earnest with difficult issues that are largely ignored this Order. We simply cannot afford to slow roll these issues.



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