Colloquium Archive

As the Telecom Act of 1996 redefined the role of the service provider in the late 1990s, VoIP began to redefine the fundamental business model of the US telecom market. In the old model, service providers charged for services based on time and distance; in the new model, service providers charge for services based on bandwidth and features. Today, 10% of business voice traffic is transmitted as VoIP, and cable operators, incumbent carriers, and competitive carriers are offering VoIP services to an increasing number of businesses and consumers. Initially deployed as a less expensive way of transmitting voice traffic, today VoIP has become one element in a portfolio of multi-modal broadband services including email, Web surfing, and instant messaging. As the concept of the traditional "telephone call" continues to evolve, the concept of universal access the regulatory framework that supports it must also evolve.