TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Telco Agrees to Stop Blocking VoIP Calls

Telco Agrees to Stop Blocking VoIP Calls

Jack Decker (jack-yahoogroups@withhold)
Thu, 03 Mar 2005 17:42:05 -0500

http://news.com.com/Telco+agrees+to+stop+blocking+VoIP+calls/2100-7352_3-5598633.html

By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

A North Carolina telecommunications company accused of deliberately
blocking Internet phone traffic has reached a deal with federal
regulators to halt the controversial practice.

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that Madison River
Communication will "refrain from blocking" VoIP, or voice over
Internet Protocol, calls and will pay a $15,000 fine to the
government.

"We saw a problem, and we acted swiftly to ensure that Internet voice
service remains a viable option for consumers," FCC Chairman Michael
Powell said in a statement. The consent decree prevents Madison River
from VoIP blocking for 30 months.

Based in Mebane, N.C., Madison River reported $194.4 million in
revenue for the 2004 calendar year from 120,649 residential voice
subscribers, 60,563 business voice subscribers, and 39,562 DSL
customers. The company has filed a registration statement for a
proposed initial public offering.

VoIP provider Vonage confirmed that Madison River was the broadband
provider it complained to the FCC about earlier this month, leading to
the FCC's investigation.

"We're very pleased that the commission took very swift action to
address the concerns that we had regarding an Internet service
provider's ability to block our customers' communications with each
other," Vonage CEO Jeffrey Citron said. "This sends a clear message
that port blocking will not be tolerated."

Full story at:
http://news.com.com/Telco+agrees+to+stop+blocking+VoIP+calls/2100-7352_3-5598633.html

How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home:
http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html

If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/

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