Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

VoIP :: FCC :: Pulver

"(FCC) today ruled that pulver.com's (pulver) Free World Dialup (FWD) offering will remain a minimally regulated competitive option for consumers. The Declaratory Ruling adopted today emphasizes the FCC's long-standing policy of keeping these consumer Internet services free from burdensome economic regulation at both the federal and state levels. Pulver's FWD allows users of broadband Internet access services to make voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or other types of peer-to-peer communications directly to other FWD members, without charge. In 2003, pulver filed a petition for declaratory ruling requesting that the FCC rule FWD to be neither a "telecommunications service" nor "telecommunications," and therefore not subject to traditional telephone regulation. Today, the FCC granted pulver's petition and also declared FWD to be an unregulated information service that is subject to federal jurisdiction. "

Pulver.com petitioned the FCC for a declaratory ruling that its SIP service Free World Dial up Internet telephony is an unregulated Information Service.

Petition for Declaratory Ruling that pulver.com’s Free World Dialup is Neither Telecommunications Nor a Telecommunications Service , WC Docket No. 03-45, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 19 FCC Rcd 3307 (2004)

This proceeding led to the FCC considering the imposition of CALEA requirements on VoIP and broadband Internet.

Documents

News

• FCC: 'Pure' VoIP not a phone service, CNET 2/12/2004
• FCC Says Pure Internet-Phone Service Not Subject to Telecom Regulations, Xchange 2/12/2004
• Pulver Petitions FCC to Rule Internet Telephony Unregulated, Yahoo 2/7/03
• Pulver Petition to FCC on Internet Telephony, Pulver 2/7/03

Select Comments

• In re The Commission's December 1, 2003, Voice Over  IP Forum, WC Docket Nos. 03-211, 02-361, and 03-35, Joint Comments Of The United States Department Of Justice, The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, And The Federal Bureau Of Investigation (Dec. 15, 2003)

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