From: Steve Douglas [clandouglas@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 1:09 AM To: voipforum Subject: Materials Submitted to the VoIP Forum Name: Steve Douglas E-mail: clandouglas@yahoo.com Organization: Private Citizen Comments: ------------------------------------------------------------ I am an industry employed IT specialist that is very candid about the government involvement in this area known as VoIP. The approach of applying any form of governmental regulation or intrusion is obstructive to the very nature of this technology. I object to applying any old antiquated regulation, surcharge, and tariffs. Land based telecommunication companies are applying a mass effort of collaboration to prevent this technology from maturing into a market share that is substantial in size. To apply similar charges and regulation to VoIP is an attempt to apply regulation within a precedent setting technology that is free from regulation and bureaucracy. In addition, it is intolerable to think that VoIP is different from all other forms of communication that already exist or will exist on the Internet. This is nothing but ttea taxing from Britain. VoIP is the same as data over IP. Tell me how data over IP doesn't harm the telephone company versus VoIP does. Just because the regional bells haven't woke up and wish to continue using the same switched technology that has existed since the early 1900's doesn't mean you should put it to the consumer by trying to split hairs. No matter how it is defined IP is IP be it data, voice or streaming audio/video. I guess streaming audio/video are next. ------------------------------------------------------------