November 17th, 2004
SBC To FCC: Make VoIP Users Pay
The Wall Street Journal reports today that SBC is planning to file a tariff request with the FCC that would likely increase the fees paid by Internet Service Providers for calls completed on the SBC network.
We’ve heard this argument before. Essentially, it goes that although you may be using an IP phone to make your call, the final routing of that call transpires over the ILEC (in this case, SBC). And, since that ILEC has spent billions to build, maintain and upgrade their networks and connections, they have a right to collect appropriately priced fees when that network is used.
A less benign and more cynical spin on this would accuse the ILEC’s offearing the competition, and trying to price them out.
I see some merit in both arguments. My question for you is, if the FCC were to grant SBC’s tariff request, would that make you any less likely to use your IP phone to make calls to non-IP-equipped SBC customers?
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
