Controversial bill that prohibits regulation of VoIP services sent to

The California State Senate passed a bill yesterday that prohibits the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) or any other state agency to regulate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or Internet Protocol-enabled (IP) service providers without authorization by statute or federal law.

Senate Bill 1161 was introduced by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Los Angeles) and is being sent to Gov. Jerry Brown.

Current federal law states that while ?telecommunications service? like landline telephones are subject to regulation regarding terms of service, rates, and access to the 911 emergency line, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not regulated ?information service? like the Internet.

On a state level, telecommunications services are regulated by PUC. Neither PUC nor the FCC has stated whether VoIP services are considered telecommunication or information services and has declined to regulate it the way it does telephone companies.

SB 1161 states that without authorization by statute, either by the state or by federal law, PUC cannot impose regulations on VoIP services. SB 1161 does maintain regulations requiring the maintenance of the 911 emergency line, the maintenance of backup power systems, and allowing enforcement of state and federal consumer protection laws.

Supporters of the bill include TechAmerica, AT&T, the California Chamber of Commerce, and the Voice on the Net Coalition.

?We are very pleased that this bill has received overwhelming bipartisan support in both houses of the Legislature,? said Robert Callahan, director of California government affairs for TechAmerica, in a press release. ?What is going to Governor Brown provides regulatory predictability and preserves the innovative climate for technology that California is globally known for.?

Groups opposing the bill include the American Association of Retired Persons, the American Civil Liberties Union of California, the Town of Fairfax, and the Utility Workers Union of America.

?This proposal has far-reaching ramifications and will likely have many unintended consequences should it become law,? said AARP, quoted in a committee analysis. ?The need for consumer protections applies regardless of the technology used.?

Rather than traditional telephone services, which dedicates a single circuit between those placing telephone calls, VoIP services convert the communication into digital packets and send them over the fastest available route over private IP networks or the Internet.

Broadband services for VoIP are provided by cable companies and local carriers, as well as separate VoIP services such as Skype.

Source: http://techwire.net/controversial-bill-that-prohibits-regulation-of-voip-services-sent-to-governors-desk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=controversial-bill-that-prohibits-regulation-of-voip-services-sent-to-governors-desk

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