[Asterisk-Users] Voip in the EU

[Iain Stevenson]

The problem with the Ofcom consultation as I see it is that it seems to be 
regressive wrt to the position now being taken by the FCC.  There are 
probably not many more than 250,000 VoB users worldwide so now is not the 
time to impose significant market constraints.

The new EU regulatory framework actually imposes very few constraints on 
new service providers in emerging markets such as VoIP being based as it is 
on the concept of "significant market power (SMP)".  I don't think any 
carrier has SMP in VoB so the real issue is the extent to which Ofcom 
tinkers in the interpretation of the rules.

Unfortunately they seem to be focusing on the "red herrings" of emergency 
service support and lawful intercept - neither of which are of much 
interest to users.   Fixed and mobile services already provide acceptable 
emergency access.  The real issue is the umbrella topic of Universal 
Service Provision and what the impact of VoIP will be on that.

The tone of the Ofcom invitation to the VoB briefing focused on issues that 
could limit the market rather than promote it.  Let's hope that the VoB 
briefing is followed up by some balanced and broad based consultation.

  Iain




--On Monday, February 16, 2004 5:55 pm +0000 WipeOut 
<wipe_out at users.sourceforge.net> wrote:

> Linus Surguy wrote:
>
>>>> Does anyone know where I can find some more info on the VoIP laws in
>>>> the
>>>>
>>>>
>> EU?
>>
>>
>>> VoIP in the EU hasn't been completely sorted centrally (i.e. by the EU
>>> parliament), last time they looked at it a few years ago it wasn't
>>> perceived to be entranched enough to worry about, I suspect this will
>>> change soon.
>>>
>>> In the UK Oftel put out a guide, which says if you're running VoIP
>>> services (i.e. back-end services, so maybe a SIP proxy/registration
>>> server or interconnection with the PSTN) you are a Communications
>>> Service Provider and covered by the same regulations as a traditional
>>> voice provider.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Just to clarify this from a different direction, Oftel/Ofcom approach
>> these things by say that they are 'technology neutral', i.e. as standard
>> they don't care how the service is delivered, it is the service that is
>> regulated and not the delivery mechanism. This means in theory the rules
>> for VoIP are the same for copper, wireless, mobile etc.
>>
>> Linus
>>
>>
>>
>>
> As I understand it that is what the Ofcom VoB discussion next week is all
> about..
>
> The standard line telco's have to be required to provide a service in an
> emegency eg during a power failure, but this is impossible for a VoIP
> provider sine the provider does not have control over the full path or
> the electricity supply.. That is only one example where VoIP cannot be
> regulated in the same way as standard telephone services..
>
> In my mind there will have to be separate regulations, there may well be
> some common clauses but they will still be separate regulations..
>
> Later..
>
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