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September 22, 2004

Ready to Testify at the CRTC...

Yesterday's CRTC VoIP Hearing represented a "Who's Who" with regard to the players in the Canadian Telecom space, at least from the VoIP perspective.

And speaking about perspectives, there were quite a few different viewpoints shared during the course of the day.

It was great to be in the same room with many familiar faces from our past VON events.

While there were a few times during the day during the Q&A part of the various company's testimonies where I felt like jumping up and screaming "BullSh*T!" from the back of the room, I restrained myself and spent the time reviewing my oral testimony which hopefully will get presented on Wednesday.

The Canadian VoIP industry is at a regulatory crossroads and it is critically important for the future of VoIP in Canada for the CRTC to get it right the first time.

Posted by jeff on September 22, 2004 12:57 AM | Permalink

Additional resources: #140conf events | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos

Comments

I just heard your comments before the CRTC today (Wednesday). I was unable to hear the comments of others yesterday, because ironically the internet transmission kept breaking up.

I support wholeheartedly your approach free from regulation. To that end, I might mention that I am currently a VOIP user in Canada; but I would not show up as one of the 15000 users you referred to. Thats because I subscribe to Vonage through a US address. Of course in todays environment the physical address to which such statistics are computed is basically irrelevant.

This brings up the whole issue of who these Canadian regulators think they are? Unless they put filters and other constraints on internet connections, they cannot enforce any regulations. Users will simply gravitate to VOIP services that offer the cheapest and most reliable alternative.

Of course I am not hopeful that the CRTC will recognize this and instead will adopt a strategy which implictly will be protectioninst and attempt to perpetuate the existing inefficient Canadian providers.

Just witness the fact that this is the same body that has refused to allow Fox News to broadcast through Canadian cable and satellite providers. I only wish I could get Fox News through the internet!

Neal Stoughton
Professor, University of Calgary

Posted by: neal stoughton at September 22, 2004 03:47 PM