What does Dave Farber have to say about this, I wonder?
forwarded on behalf of concerned cybernauts ... Date: 05/13/2000 11:49 AM From: Jeff Pulver SOS: HILL VOTES ON IP REGULATION TUESDAY: SOS Need your Help to Keep Internet Telephony Regulation Free Hi There, The US House of Representatives is considering a bill called "HR 1291" which, if passed, will set in motion a cave-in to the US Bell Companies and open the door for the FCC to regulate and impose access charges on IP voice services. The floor vote for this bill is on Tuesday, May 16th. There is still time to help stop HR 1291...but our time is short. On May 10, the House Commerce Committee took HR 1291, which was written to prevent the FCC from imposing per-minute access charges on ISPs, and turned it on its head by carving out an exception for what it calls "Internet telephone" services. The new version of the bill, which will be brought to the floor for a vote Tuesday, May 16 allows the FCC to impose access charges on Internet telephony "irrespective of the type of customer premises equipment used in connection with such services" - in other words, whether provided via phone, computer, or some other device. If the bill passes, it signals the FCC and other International regulators that IP voice services can and maybe should be regulated like circuit-switched telephony. The bill is opposed by virtually every high tech and Internet company and trade association. The Republican House leadership, Speaker Hastert, Majority Leader Armey, and Majority Whip DeLay, say that they are moving H.R. 1291 to show that they support the Internet community and on many issues they do...but, on this one, they are plowing forward despite being told by the Internet community that this is not a pro-Internet bill. I urge you to call the switchboard of the Capitol and leave a message for your Representative that HR 1291 is a mistake. The phone number for the the Capital Switchboard is: +1.202.224.3121. Please also email your Representative and the House Leadership with the message that HR 1291 is a mistake. The Internet should remain unregulated, with no exceptions for voice applications and services. http://www.house.gov and http://www.house.gov/writerp will help you locate the name and email address of your Representative. email for the House Leadership is: Speaker Hastert: [EMAIL PROTECTED] House Commerce Committee Chairman - Tom Bliley: [EMAIL PROTECTED] House Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman - Billy Tauzin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please let them know that: - If they open the door to regulating any Internet service, it will set a terrible precedent. - Using the Internet for voice communications is a good thing and should not be regulated or taxed. Consumers will be hurt and only the old monopoly telephone companies will benefit. - Internet voice services are used mostly by low income people for international communications, as a substitute for vastly inflated international long-distance calls. - Passing HR 1291 will create a new source of privacy concerns, as companies pry apart traffic streams to determine what's "voice". Please feel free to forward this message to anybody you know who might be affected in the event the Internet Telephony Industry gets regulated. The industry needs everybody's help to STOP HR 1291! Kind regards, Jeff -- <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> fred hutter 604.921.7077.WestVancouver ~ 604.921.7011.fax ICQ#2894157 ~ [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://SkyCanada.Net ~ http://CanadaNotebook.com 177-B Sea-to-Sky Hwy \ Britannia Beach \ BC V0N1J0 <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
