Court supports FCC in VoIP regulation
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1207331605.jpg|width="120" height="107" alt=""|_##]A federal appeals court upheld a decision by the Federal Communications Commission that barred states from regulating Internet-based phone services, an Associated Press report said. The Associated Press report said a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the FCC's determination in 2004 that companies like Vonage Holdings provide an interstate service that puts them outside state control.
Vonage uses VoIP, which involves converting the sound of a voice into packets of data and reassembling them into sound at the other end of the call. In 2003, Minnesota's Public Utilities Commission tried to register Vonage as a phone company, which would have subjected it to state tariffs and rate regulations, the report said. A federal judge barred Minnesota from doing so, and a year later at Vonage's request the FCC ruled that the company's services could not be regulated by the states.
Regulatory agencies in a number of states, including Minnesota, appealed that ruling, the report said. In the decision authored by Fargo, N.D.-based 8th Circuit Judge Kermit Bye, the court agreed with the FCC's determination that the nature of VoIP telephone calls allows customers to place "home" phone calls from nearly anywhere, irrespective of state lines, the report added.
When the FCC issued its ruling in 2004, officials with the agency indicated that they believed streamlined regulation was key to the growth of the fledgling industry.
The report further quoted Vonage CEO Mike Snyder as saying that the decision was good news for the company's 2.2 million subscribers.
Related listings
-
US court rules Pringle chips are not satanic
Court Alerts 03/22/2007[##_1L|1058330485.jpg|width="130" height="98" alt=""|_##]Pringles appear to be safe from demonic association after a US court ruled that the devil is not in league with global consumer brand Procter & Gamble (P&G). The ruling brought an end t...
-
Supreme Court blocks Ohio execution
Court Alerts 03/21/2007[##_1L|1346842634.jpg|width="180" height="135" alt=""|_##]The execution of a man who killed a woman and scattered her remains across two states was blocked Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court. Inmate Kenneth Biros had waited for the decision hours past...
-
Sacramento firm helps women reach $3.25M settlement
Court Alerts 03/20/2007The city of Modesto has agreed to pay $3.25 million to settle allegations of sex discrimination, harassment and retaliation filed by a Sacramento law firm on behalf of three female employees. The settlement was confirmed by Stanislaus County Superior...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.