VoIP

Internet Phone Calls Caught in Crossfire As FCC Adopts Rural Broadband Subsidies

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:41:07 -0400

Full article: Wired
David Kravets
The FCC unanimously adopted a radical changeover to the $4.5 billion Universal Service Fund, created by a fee attached to telephone bills, and will now channel the bulk of subsidies to expand rural broadband use, rather than rural phone service. While updating a Depression-era program seems like a no-brainer, the change is pitting traditional phone service provider AT&T against Comcast, which provides calling services over its broadband network, and is exposing the FCC's intellectual confusion over how to regulate communications in the Internet age.

FCC Could Make VoIP Providers Pay to Connect Calls

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:18:38 -0400

Full article: Politico
Kim Hart
More and more Americans are abandoning home telephone lines in favor of mobile phones, Skype, Google Voice and Vonage -- and that leaves the FCC with a problem: Figuring out what digital-age companies should pay to connect calls to the old Ma Bell network.

Minus Baker, FCC Votes on Internet Outage Reporting Rules

Lindsy Embree — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:02:36 -0400

Full article: National Journal
Josh Smith
Outgoing commissioner Meredith Baker wasn't on hand as the FCC proposed new rules requiring Internet companies to report serious service outages.

FCC Wants Web Phone Reports

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:08:16 -0400

Full article: Politico
Brooks Boliek
Phone companies have long been on the hook for reporting service outages to federal regulators when the dial tone goes dead in the midst of a storm or equipment woes. Now that so many consumers and businesses are relying on Internet-based phones, the FCC is considering whether to extend those reporting requirements into the digital age.

MetroPCS to Allow VoIP over LTE

Lindsy Embree — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:29:44 -0500

Full article: FierceWireless
Mike Dano
MetroPCS announced it will allow VoIP services over its new LTE network. The carrier disclosed the news in a response it filed with the FCC to accusations that its new LTE service plans run afoul of the agency's newly minted Net Neutrality rules.

FCC Report Shows Interconnected VoIP Use Growing Rapidly

Lindsy Embree — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:16:48 -0500

Full article: The Hill
Gautham Nagesh
The number of consumers using voice services over their broadband connections grew by five million in 2009 while the number of traditional local phone lines decreased by 10 percent, according to a new report from the FCC.

On Broadband, VoIP Finds Its Voice

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:34:31 -0400

Full article: GigaOM
Om Malik
Today, one in five broadband lines has a VoIP service attached to it, according to recent analysis, which estimates nearly 22 percent of consumer broadband lines have a VoIP service. That's about 112 million lines at the half-way mark in 2010 -- and no, this doesn't include companies like Skype.

FCC Releases VoIP Subscription Information

Stevie Converse — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:55:22 -0400

Full article: Broadband Breakfast
The FCC has released information about Voice over Internet Protocol in its Local Telephone Competition Report. The data is expected to give the FCC a better idea of how the market for VoIP services is developing.

Court Affirms Cox Did Not Infringe Verizon VoIP Patents

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:05:36 -0400

Full article: Multichannel News
Todd Spangler
A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that Cox Communications did not infringe Verizon patents related to voice-over-IP technology. Verizon had sought $404 in million damages from Cox in the suit, filed in January 2008.

Smuggle Secret Information with VOIP

Lindsy Embree — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:46:40 -0500

Full article: Wired
David Pierce
VoIP uses a series of protocols to essentially create an open, unmediated link between two computers. VoIP applications also provide a way to make sure the packets are ordered quickly and correctly -- and deal with latencies in the network. Information flows more quickly and fluidly. And that's a goldmine for anyone trying to send hidden messages.