« Another Huge Day for VoIP in the USA: Verizon launching Consumer VoIP service today! | Main | Dial-up Fly Fishing »
July 22, 2004
7/22 Update on Sununu Bill
The Senate Commerce Committee held a mark-up of the Sununu-Stevens-McCain VoIP Bill -- a revised, tailored-down, much more general version of the earlier Sununu Bill. The revised bill does not attempt to categorize VoIP as either telecom or information service. Nor does the Bill address the many social policy issues considered more specifically in the earlier bill. The Bill, as revised, was simply intended to broadly preempt state regulatory authority over VoIP for 3 years. Two amendments, however, undercut the scope of Federal preemption and would allow for state regulation over at least some flavors of VoIP. The Dorgan Amendment (which passed 12-10) does not preempt states from assessing Universal Service on VoIP and allowing recovery of intrastate access charges on VoIP calls. A second amendment, proposed by Senators Burns and Nelson (and passed 13-9), allows for state authority to mandate E911 compliance by "connected" VoIP providers. The language of the E911 amendment has not yet been approved and will attempt to balance what appears to be Burns goal of mandatory compliance with E911 obligations (at least by POTS replacement VoIP services) with Sununu's goal of promoting voluntary industry-based solutions. The Bill with the two Amendments passed through Committee 13-9.
We expect Rep. Pickering to revise and reintroduce his House corollary bill to track the new language and scope of the Sununu Bill (without the Dorgan and Burns amended language, although, most likely, a couple Representatives on the House Energy and Commerce Committee will offer similar amendments).
Our initial take is that no VoIP legislation is likely to pass this Congress, but the Bills will guide debate at the FCC and in the States and serve as the base point for a possible rewrite next Congress.
Posted by jeff on July 22, 2004 04:27 PM | Permalink
Additional resources: #140conf events | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos