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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
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FCC Says Net Phone Lines Can Be Tapped
#2964597 - 08/04/04 01:48 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&e=1&u=/nm/20040804/wr_nm/telecoms_wiretap_dc
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Internet phone systems, seen as the wave of the future in telecommunications, must be set up in such a way that conversations can be monitored by police and intelligence agencies, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said in a tentative ruling on Wednesday.
By a vote of 5-0, the FCC said "Voice over Internet Protocol," or VoIP, providers should be subject to the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which ensures that law enforcers will be able to keep up with changing communications technologies.
The law does not apply to Internet-based communications but VoIP providers such as Vonage must comply because they are likely to replace much traditional phone service, the commission said.
The Justice Department, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration have argued that they must be able to monitor suspicious calls no matter how they are made and have pushed the FCC to adopt rules so they will always have access.
Technology advocates have worried that the fast-growing service, which promises to slash costs by routing phone calls over the Internet, could be harmed by excessive regulation.
The ruling does not affect other pending regulatory questions surrounding VoIP service, such as how it should be taxed, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said.
"Our tentative conclusion, while correct, is expressly limited to the requirements of the CALEA statute and does not indicate a willingness on my part to find that VoIP services are telecommunications services," Powell said at a commission meeting.
Several commissioners said this attempt to avoid larger regulatory questions weakened the legal argument underpinning the ruling, though they all voted to support it.
"There are less roundabout ways to achieve this result than the collection of tentative conclusions we offer here, and there are better ways to build a system that will guarantee judicial approval," said Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat.
The ruling does not apply to "non-managed" VoIP services like Skype, which have more in common with file-trading networks like Kazaa than traditional phone networks.
Skype offers "peer to peer" software that allows users to talk directly with each other rather than going through pathways set up by the carrier.
Separately, the FCC ruled that commercial "push to talk" services offered by wireless providers like Nextel Communications Inc. would be subject to CALEA.
The ruling on "push to talk" services is final, but the FCC will accept further public comments before making its ruling on VoIP final.
The FCC has yet to determine how long VoIP carriers need to comply with wiretap laws, and whether outside companies can manage compliance for these carriers.
VoIP carriers offer subscribers a low monthly fee for nationwide calls and discount rates for international connections.
Major traditional carriers like Verizon Communications and AT&T Corp. have launched VoIP offerings to match services offered by independent start-ups like Vonage.
Research firm Gartner Inc. estimates that 17 percent of North American phone lines will be replaced with VoIP lines by 2008.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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Prisoner#1
Even Dumber ThanAdvertized!


Registered: 01/22/03
Posts: 193,665
Loc: Pvt. Pubfag NutSuck
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Re: FCC Says Net Phone Lines Can Be Tapped [Re: Seuss]
#2966179 - 08/04/04 09:55 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Good story Seuss... I love the way that the rules are decided internally, I'm sure that encription for VoIP will be in the works really soon if it's not already...
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Randolph_Carter
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Registered: 06/13/00
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Re: FCC Says Net Phone Lines Can Be Tapped [Re: Prisoner#1]
#2968124 - 08/05/04 01:41 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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It probably wouldn't be that hard to run a voice line from a DSL hookup to a regular phone... Seeing as they run on the same lines.
Good article suess.
-------------------- "..all those molecules thrashing their kinky little tails, hot for destiny and the street." Gibson Nuke baby seals for Jesus! (This has been a +1 production.)
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Lana
Head Banana


Registered: 10/27/99
Posts: 3,109
Loc: www.MycoSupply.com
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Re: FCC Says Net Phone Lines Can Be Tapped [Re: Randolph_Carter]
#2968500 - 08/05/04 02:57 PM (19 years, 9 months ago) |
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Ah, the FCC .....
I'd rather make a call via VoIP than a regular phone.
Try using Skype for kicks
http://www.skype.com/home.html
"Skype encrypts all calls and instant messages end-to-end for unrivaled privacy. Encryption was necessary since all calls are routed through the public Internet." - http://www.skype.com/skype_p2pexplained.html
Although you should know that, "VoicePulse, which sells a $25-a-month calling plan, follows free phone service provider Skype in encrypting calls. However, Skype's service is restricted to calls made between broadband-enabled computers, while VoicePulse subscribers can also call the more than 90 percent of homes that use traditional phones." - http://news.com.com/2100-7352-5181428.html
/me had done her homework on VoIP 
Lana
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