SOCIAL 慜BLIGATIONS?TO WEIGH HEAVILY IN VOIP SERVICES

摘要

Social obligations imposed on VoIP won't go away but will only pile up, Microsoft Compliance Mgr. Scott Forbes said. A 損erfect storm?of circumstances favors regulation, Forbes said last week at the RSA Conference in San Jose: (1) VoIP's rising popularity. (2) A growing focus on social obligations rather than regulation for competition in telecom. (3) High visibility, notably in coverage of fatalities from failed bids to use VoIP for 911 calls. (4) Financials like Public Safety Answering Points' money needs and incumbent providers' scant VoIP revenue. 揑n 2 years, we've had more regulation on VoIP than we had in telephony in 100 years,?Forbes said. Today's noisiest issues are the least important, he said, referring to data protection, disability access and competition. 揟he big 3" are law enforcement and emergency services access and universal service, he said.nn"The FCC is very much engaged?in such matters, and on CALEA wiretaps and other issues, DoJ and the rest of the Administration will mainly get what they want from the Commission, Forbes said. The crucial definition of 揷all identifying information?for purposes of VoIP CALEA compliance awaits a 2nd FCC order on the topic, probably in 3-6 months, he said. That order likely will put off the compliance deadline, Forbes said. When the order is challenged in court, Congress probably will respond by rolling VoIP obligations into a broader law applying CALEA to all electronic communications, he predicted. Also, VoIP will be subject to universal service fund contributions, Forbes said.