KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
 ·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
 ·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| Opening Pandora's box
In my opinion, VOIP is just like any other kind of internet packets. It's really no different from say, sending a file via the net, etc. It's just used as a transport for voice communications that is set up to resemble telephone service for ease of use.
It should *not* be taxed. It should *not* be treated as "long distance" and charged more.
...but therein lies the rub. States and the Federal Government love the taxes and fees and social programs they tack onto telephone service. They are worried that everyone will switch to VOIP and dump POTS and they will lose their cash cow...
.... So, their answer is to treat VOIP the same as POTS and preserve their cash cow.
They aren't the same... but one thing is. TAXES.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
|
CanOpener4
join:2003-06-23
Brooklyn, NY
| said by KrK  :
In my opinion, VOIP is just like any other kind of internet packets. It's really no different from say, sending a file via the net, etc. It's just used as a transport for voice communications that is set up to resemble telephone service for ease of use.
Exactly! Taxing VoIP appears to be very fightable in court, does it not? The question is, will they? |
|
KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| said by CanOpener4 :
Exactly! Taxing VoIP appears to be very fightable in court, does it not? The question is, will they?
I think it's a court battle for now, but once States/Congress passes a law(s) treating VOIP as a service like telephone service the battle will be lost.
This will really impact businesses who use VOIP over their IP networks to cut costs methinks.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
|
Whistle Dixie
@attbi.com | reply to KrK
Do they know about Skype? www.skype.com |
|
dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by Whistle Dixie:
Do they know about Skype? www.skype.com
yawn. loaded with spyware and requires the other party to have the program as well. not as elegant as real voip. is there a skypeLITE yet?
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth |
|
nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast
| reply to CanOpener4
said by CanOpener4 :
Exactly! Taxing VoIP appears to be very fightable in court, does it not? The question is, will they?
Trouble is, it may be easier for them to "roll over" and just pay the taxes; they still may be a better price than the telcos. And being taxed adds instant legitimacy to VOIP services. |
|
