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Technology Stocks : FCC Regulations -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Francis Gaskins who wrote (18)	4/13/1998 12:41:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 54

>>>Officials at BellSouth Corp. said it will immediately begin charging access fees to companies that use its network and advertise Internet phone service.<<< Your point is well taken. Touche! It'll be interesting to see how they accomplish the accounting part on that one, given the complexities and hostilities they will face if they actually attempt to follow through with this. The machinery is not set up for it. The software hooks and reporting links, I mean. I recently addressed something similar to this kind of dilemma in the VoIP thread. From Reply #426: ---- For example, if an ITSP is not using SS7, then how does the LEC, and through extension, the FCC, know whether the call is long distance or not? After all, Ingress/Egress charges apply only to LD. Right? Who's to say that the calls aren't local by the neophytes not using SS7? SS7, which will be used by the more sophisticated ITSPs, early on, will provide pointers to remote end offices, and look-ahead call setup procedures, and calling- and called-party directory number information which are _auditable_ . Indeed, necessary for billing purposes. Less sophisticated nets which don't use SS7 and rely instead on TCP/IP routing techniques to get to a limited set of end points where there are similar gateways, are far more limited in their reach potential. At the same time, however, they don't leave a magnetic trail. Some of these will not need to use traditional billing practices if they offer prepaid and flat rate plans per minute, regardless of where the calls are placed to, hence, there is no audit trail, even on paper. I suppose that there will be some form of compliance in accounting ruling on this, but as it stands now, I haven't even heard the question raised. All of which raises the question of accountability in reporting. Very Interesting, wouldn't you say? ----- Of course, there are other platforms, some CTI, which will do the trick just as well. Only problem is... try getting a BOC to use them! Maybe someday.

To: Francis Gaskins who wrote (18)	4/13/1998 12:56:00 PM
From: MikeM54321	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 54

Francis and Frank, Thanks for your discussions. I'm getting a little confused. There are three independent issues that seem to be getting mixed together. First is ISP's not having to pay for local connections while using the regionals bells local network to get to the home. RBOCs have been complaining about this to the FCC for over a year now. Second issue is the FCC thinking about taxing data network companies who are going to offer low cost voice services via the Internet or their own networks. Third is the issue of whether or not the FCC is going to allow the RBOCs to build data networks that will allow them to get into, the currently prohibited, long distance voice business using VoIP as a way to circumvent the ruling. To me it appears these are three independent issues. The first one has been around quite awhile and appears to be a dead issue (I hope). The second and third are fairly recent innovations and it's hard to tell what is going to happen. But it appears it would be very bad for any of the emerging data networks if any of the three issues were pushed through by the FCC. Luckily, it appears that the current administration (Clinton and Gore) appear to be on the side of "hands off." This has got to make the FCC think twice about shooting themselves in the foot by taking strong stands on any one of the three issues. They always seem to be leery of doing anything at all (which is good!). I would have to think that it would be best for ISPs, RBOCs, ILECs, LDs, ABCs, etc. to all push for the FCC to stay away from every issue! Just like Jim Barksdale, Bill Gates, and Scott McNealy told congress during the Microsoft hearings. They clearly told congress not to add any more laws or rulings. Just enforce current ones. I hope the alphabet soup of telephone and data companies take the same tactic. After all it's going to be one big data network in the future and everyone will in the same bed offering the same services eventually. MikeM(From Florida)