[asterisk-biz] Interconnected VOIP is virtualphoneline.com falling into it?

[jltaylor at metrotel.net]

The FCC in rule 9, which came from the VOIP e911 order, talked about  
being "interconnected".

However, if this is about USF, then here's what USAC has to say about it:

"...In the past, only long distance companies made contributions to  
support the federal Universal Service Fund. In 1996, Congress passed a  
law that expanded the types of companies contributing to the Universal  
Service Fund..."

"...Currently, all telecommunications companies that provide service  
between states, including long distance companies, local telephone  
companies, wireless telephone companies, paging companies, and  
payphone providers, are required to contribute to the federal  
Universal Service Fund. Carriers providing international services also  
must contribute to the Universal Service Fund..."

You don't have to be in the list, because it says "all".  The only  
exemptions would be for VOIP-to-VOIP with no ability to reach the PSTN.

This is for USF.  The 911 thing had some different requirements:  
"broadband connection", "receive AND terminate" so if you don't  
provide "termination" then 911 is not an issue (other than the  
sticker).  It also looks like if you do it over dial-up (no  
broadband), then you could be exempt from 911.

Historical Note: In the past, the term "interconnected" or  
"interconnection" has been used in ONE-WAY telecommunications.  The  
FCC made it clear that paging companies could be and were indeed  
"interconnected" if they touched the PSTN. Thus if a pager had a DID  
number, where you could access and send a signal to it from the PSTN,  
you were "interconnected".

And, paging companies pay into the USF.

James Taylor
http://www.metrotel.net
972-505-3503

Quoting Rehan Allah Wala <rehan at supertec.com>:

>
> VirtualPhoneLine.com offers Incoming DID number and forwards it to a  
>  PSTN Number.
>
>
> Does it come under category of Interconnected voip providers?
>
> I belive that Interconnected provider mean that u have to generate a  
>  dialtone, where as
> VirtualPhoneLine.com is giving a new number on another company's dial tone.
>
> What do you think ?
>
> Rehan
>
>
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