Technologies and Politics of Control:Community Portal

When is a telephone call a telephone call? When you pick up the handset, dial a number and start speaking to someone? Apparently not. The FCC, which is funded by telecommunications surcharges, has held the position that voice transmitted over IP is considered information and not a phone call. Perhaps they are rethinking this decision. After all, traditional TDM infrastructure (the technology used to support calls over copper lines) is experiencing a decrease in use by consumers at a very rapid pace. Many people are converting from traditional copper lines to digital phone service or Voice over IP (VoIP) as offered by companies like Skype and Vonage. However, if voice over the internet is considered information, than why do telecommunications surcharges still apply? Apparently someone thinks they shouldn't. The following article reports of a landmark case where the courts have determined that Voice carried over the internet is information and therefore the surcharges do not apply.

Link to Article here: Does this bode well for the FCC?

So what does this mean? As consumers opt out of traditional POTS lines (plain old telephony system) is the FCC at a crossroads? How do they acquire the funding necessary to support their agressive plans for a nationwide 100 squared access to the internet? It is true that a significant amount of funds will be garnered due to the American Re-Investment and Recovery Act of 2009, but unless an ongoing plan for funding exists, those funds will eventually run out and then what? Who will be left to pay for the rest? Do I smell a true and real internet tax coming on? And if so... how do we collect that tax from the foreign users and businesses who we interact with... Or will the burden be placed upon us? Thoughts anyone? D. Jodoin --Lunatixcoder 16:48, 27 February 2010 (UTC)

Social Media a Double-Edged Sword for Democracy Advocates --Gclinch 16:04, 12 June 2011 (UTC)