FCC, Senate Committee At Odds Over States' VoIP Regulation

FCC, SENATE COMMITTEE AT ODDS OVER STATES' VOIP REGULATION
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
If the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S.2686), passed late last month by the Senate Commerce Committee, becomes law, Internet telephone companies will be exempt from certain state economic regulations. But until then, the FCC ruled last week, states may conditionally regulate Internet telephony. The back-and-forth between the agency and the Senate panel occurred as the committee was approving S. 2686, its version of telecommunications overhaul legislation. An amendment pre-empting state regulation of voice-over-Internet protocol, offered by Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) was approved 14-8 on June 22 -- at the start of the markup. At the same time, the FCC was detailing its decision to apply the universal service fund to VoIP providers. Such companies must pay a fee into the USF based on 64.9 percent of their revenue -- or be subject to regulation by state public utility commissions. However, uncertainty about the regulation of VoIP is likely to continue: Some members of the Senate committee sought an amendment to S. 2686 that would have granted VoIP providers the ability to obtain a waiver for up to four years from an FCC requirement that they implement E-911, or enhanced location-based 911 service. That amendment ultimately was not offered in committee, as two of the measure's chief patrons -- Sens Sununu and Bill Nelson (D-FL) -- withdrew it to allow further discussion with Sen. John (Jay) Rockefeller (D-WV) who opposes any extension of time for VoIP providers to comply with the existing FCC mandate.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-CYKN1152212935769.html