Voice-over-IP, telcos, and ISPs

[Mikoid]

I'm a bit annoyed at the entire NTC policy of regulating voice-over-IP services locally. It's so anti-consumer.

There really isn't any difference between VoIP and regular Internet use -- you are still sending data packets up and down the Net. The distinction that the NTC and telcos are trying to raise, that anything voice-related overlap with a telco's services and as such should be regulated in the same way, seems so artificial.

It's just that VoIP is an extremely efficient way of communication that should be a privilege of anyone with an Internet connection, and yet telcos and carriers still want to pass an additional cost that doesn't necessarily exist to the consumer.

G-R-E-E-D !!!

[zimdude]

Most people got this wrong.

NTC cannot, and does not hope to, regulate Voice over IP using your computer. Neither can they regulate it, using the PBX in your office.

What they are after, is ISP's who want to offer PC-to-PC calling - they would hook up their RAS (Remote Access Server) to the PSTN so that people can call internationally even without a computer.

Just wanted to set that straight.

[Mikoid]

zim: Uhm, I think that's where I was headed. :D

Apologies for not being clear.

What's wrong with ISPs offering person-to-person calls internationally? It's a lot more efficient cost-wise than a voice call, and the costs are signficantly lower!

Granted, they are using telco pipes to make these calls, but that's why these ISPs are leasing space from them to begin with.

[KuyaDanny]

What's wrong? I don't think there's anything wrong. But since when did our government do things on the basis of right and wrong?

The telcos have invested money to set up IGFs (International Gateway Facilities), mostly on the urging of our government. IGF capacity is severely underutilized, and these telcos need to make back their investment.

These regulatory activities aimed at VoIP are meant to keep the prices of VoIP high, or at least close to IDD telco rates, so that the telcos continue to get some revenue.

Hey, at least IDD is now 40 cents a minute. Used to be a dollar. ;)

[zimdude]

... aside from the pricing issues, I think the essence of regulation is protecting the quality of the connection (for the consumer, hmm...) ... with VoIP it's easy to set up service but it is still expensive to assure quality.

... of course we know that NTC protects the interests of the big telcos (especially PLDT...), but that's it in theory. since it's a public service, it has to be regulated.

[zimdude]

Please move to Technology Today.

Actually as far as regulation is concerned, I would rather deregulate basic infrastructure and the "last mile."

[KuyaDanny]

Sorry, this belongs here.

Issues of government regulation of commercial activities, even if these activities have to do with technology, are business-related.

[zimdude]

sorry boss, I just thought this discussion would have more participants with the people from the other forum... whom I think don't even look here... :|

[KuyaDanny]

That's, OK, zimdude. I can understand how moving this thread can get it more attention.

What we're trying to to, I think, is to organize this community based on groups of topics rather than groups of people. In the end this might not be the best way to do things, but we're still trying.

[zimdude]

Hope that works out. Now that the PEx server logs where PExers go, I wonder how the traffic of the two fora compare?

[zimdude]

NTC takes hands-off view of VoIP services (http://www.itnetcentral.com/computerworld/article.asp?id=3022&leveli=0&info=Computer+World)

by Geoffrey P. Ramos, Senior Writer;
Computerworld Philippines

Issue Date: 4/30/2001

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) last week said that it would keep its hands off voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services and allow them to flourish on their own without any form of government regulation.

NTC Commissioner Eliseo Rio said in a phone interview with Computerworld Philippines that the government agency so far does not see VoIP services as a threat to telecommunication companies and added that it will only issue regulations for the service once its use becomes widespread.

This announcement is a clear departure from the NTC's earlier position, where the government agency had announced that it would issue guidelines for VoIP services late last year.

The proposed guidelines, which were met by strong opposition from telephone companies and Internet service providers, were scheduled to be released around December last year or January this year.

Former Deputy Commissioner Nestor Dacanay said the guidelines were not finalized because the commission had prioritized interconnection issues.

Lawyer Joseph Santiago was NTC commissioner when the VoIP guidelines were being formulated.

(continued on website...)

[zimdude]

In the regulatory front, "unlicensed" frequencies in the US are already licensed here by different companies. That is what may be stopping us from implementing the "free metro wireless data network."

(See Infoworld article for the US implementation) (http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/08/24/010824hnfreewireless.xml)