November 2005
FCC Relaxes VoIP 911 Deadline
The American FCC has slightly relaxed their position on VoIP 911 emergency compliance rules, ruling that VoIP providers don’t have to cut off service to customers in areas that aren’t properly covered. They will not, however, be able to add any new customers in these areas until coverage is brought up to standard.
October 2005
Sprint Brings Lawsuit against Vonage and Voiceglo
Sprint Nextel Corp. has recently announced that they are filing a patent infringement lawsuit against VoIP telephony providers Voiceglo, and Vonage.
September 2005
FCC VoIP Wiretapping Laws Complicated and Unclear
US federal regulators have decided that VoIP providers have until the spring of 2007 to begin following a new set of complex rules, designed to make it easier for police to listen in on broadband phone and internet telephony conversations.
New Software Will Improve VoIP Emergency Services
Spatial Data Inc. has released VixxiLink 2.0, an application which allows VoIP providers to quickly and efficiently connect their customers to 911 emergency services.
China Telecom Bans Skype Services
China Telecom has struck a major blow to the advancement of technology in that country, as it moves to block citizens’ access to SkypeOut, Skype’s popular PC-to-Phone telephony service.
August 2005
Critics Attack VoIP Wiretapping Ruling
A recent ruling from the FCC says that internet telephony services must allow for built in wiretapping capabilities, just as conventional phone companies have to.
1
(6 marks)
