VoIP Telephony
CWA and Consumer Letter to House Telecom Subommittee on VoIP
January 30, 2004
The Honorable Fred Upton
Chairman
House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
2161 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Edward Markey
Ranking Member
House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
2108 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Upton and Representative Markey:
As the Subcommittee prepares to consider the critical issue of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), the undersigned organizations urge you to ensure that the social obligations of universal service, disability access, and public safety continue to be the hallmark of our nation’s telecommunications policy. VOIP and other emerging technologies offer exciting new possibilities in expanding the way Americans communicate, but only if all Americans have affordable, quality access to them.
Providers of voice telephony have been traditionally required to meet public interest obligations. As a policy framework is developed for VOIP and other emerging technologies, the following must continue to be the centerpiece of telecommunications policy:
- Universal service – As a service that is functionally equivalent to plain old telephone service, VOIP providers must contribute to the universal service fund to ensure affordable access to telecommunications services for all Americans. The public switched network remains the backbone of this country’s communications system and VOIP providers must contribute to the maintenance of the network through intercarrier compensation.
- Access for people with disabilities – Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act mandates that telecommunications services are accessible and usable for people with disabilities. These provisions must apply equally to VOIP carriers. VOIP providers must contribute to the telecommunications relay service (TRS) fund to ensure accessible telecommunications service for people with hearing and speech disabilities.
- Public safety requirements – Communications providers, regardless of technology, must provide E911 service to customers.
- Consumer protections – All providers of voice telephony must provide basic consumer protections, including privacy, advanced notification of termination of service, and other obligations.
As telecommunications evolves in the broadband world, we urge your support for public policies that ensure that all Americans reap the benefits from these new technologies by protecting programs that ensure universal service, access for people with disabilities, public safety, and other consumer protections. We look forward to working with you in support of these public policies that protect public interest obligations in a broadband environment.
Sincerely,
Alliance for Public Technology
Alliance for Technology Access
American Association of Law Libraries
American Association of People With Disabilities
Communications Workers of America
Community Action Partnership
Department of Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
Independent Living Network
MAAC Project
National Consumers League
National Hispanic Council on Aging
Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.
Telecommunications Research and Action Center
cc: Members of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
