IP: Don't Panic! RE: Bells attempt to control the Internet

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Tue, 01 May 2001 09:24:28 -0700
> To: farber () cis upenn edu, jeff () pulver com, gene.gaines () gainesgroup com
> From: Bill Stewart <bill.stewart () pobox com>
> Subject: Don't Panic!  RE: Bells attempt to control the Internet
>
> My reading of the bill is much different from Pulver's.
> It doesn't prohibit *everybody* from offering Voice over IP services -
> it prohibits *Bell Operating Companies* who are currently
> forbidden to offer conventional long-distance voice service
> from offering internet-based voice on high-speed connections,
> which would be an easy workaround.
>
> The HR1542 may (ok, does) have other problems, but this isn't one of them.
> It doesn't appear to prohibit them from offering VOIP over
> lower-speed internet connections, such as IDSL, modems, or 256kbps DSL -
> it defines high-speed as at least 384kbps in at least one direction,
> but Congress doesn't typically think of everything....
>
>
> You can look up the bill on http://thomas.loc.gov - search for "hr1542".
>
>         (k) PROHIBITION ON MARKETING VOICE TELEPHONE SERVICES-
>         Until the date on which a Bell operating company is
>         authorized to offer interLATA services originating in an
>         in-region State in accordance with the provisions of this section,
>         such Bell operating company offering any high speed data service
>         or Internet access service pursuant to the provisions of paragraph
>         (7) of subsection (g) may not, in such in-region State market, bill,
>         or collect for interLATA voice telecommunications service obtained
>         by means of the high speed data service or Internet access service
>         provided by such company.
>
> Disclaimers: I'm not a lawyer, though I've played a politician on TV.
> I've got a variety of other opinions about this and current regulation,
> which differ significantly from the Bell Companies', AT&T's, Tauzin's,
> Cato's, Nader's, etc., so I'm sending this from my personal email account, 
> not work.
>
>                 Bill Stewart  bill.stewart () pobox com
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> > Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 05:22:45 -0400
> > From: Gene Gaines <gene.gaines () gainesgroup com>
> > To: farber () cis upenn edu
> > Subject: Bells attempt to control the Internet
> >
> > SOS: House Telecom Subcommittee Approves Bill Regulating VoIP Applications
> >
> > Need your Help to Defeat HR 1542 and Keep Internet Communications
> > Regulation Free  ( http://pulver.com/hr1542 )
> >
> >
> > Hi There,
> >
> > The "Tauzin-Dingell Broadband Bill" incorporates for the first time
> > Internet applications and broadband in the legacy telecom regulatory
> > framework. The bill will make it illegal to offer IP based voice services
> > over the Internet and give the Bells hooks to kill off remaining broadband
> > competitors.
>
> ....
>
> > [The above from Jeff Pulver <jeff () pulver com>]
> >
> >
> > Gene Gaines
> > gene.gaines () gainesgroup com
> > Sterling, Virginia



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