Fergie's Tech Blog

Brand X decision could mean widespread VoIP blocking

David M. Ewalt writes in Forbes:

In its recent ruling against a small Internet service provider called Brand X Internet, the U.S. Supreme Court said that cable operators don't need to share their broadband access lines with other businesses. That's good news for big cable companies but could be trouble for voice-over-IP providers like Vonage, which sell digital phone service.

Unregulated cable lines and the possibility of deregulated phone lines could lead to widespread blocking of VoIP traffic by big cable and phone companies looking to protect their turf.

"I believe it's a matter of when, not if," says Jeff Pulver, chief executive of VoIP service provider Free World Dialup. "If I'm a service provider offering my own voice over broadband offering, and I've got the ability to block my competition, why not?"

posted by Fergie @ 6/28/2005 12:52:00 PM