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Contents Introduction Background Three Types of VoIP Services Conclusion Additional Information/Bibliography Endnotes Printer Friendly Version VoIP: Legal & Regulatory Issues (PDF file; 160 KB) Get Acrobat Reader

Voice over IP: Legal and Regulatory Issues

Introduction

As MOREnet and its customers begin to evaluate Voice over IP (VoIP) technologies as replacements for traditional phone systems, there are a number of legal and regulatory issues that must be addressed. In Missouri, telecommunications services are regulated by a number of organizations that all have their own jurisdictions and regulations. MOREnet has investigated the ramifications of using VoIP technologies in Missouri for three major categories of uses:

• The individual organization (regardless of the number of locations).
• MOREnet as an integrator and enabler between organizations.
• MOREnet as a supplier of long-distance services via VoIP.

Note that this is research only—there are no services being offered by MOREnet in any of these areas.

The issues that were originally envisioned were regulatory—restrictions based on MOREnet's status (as part of the University of Missouri, a state land-grant public education institution). Regulatory control of telecommunications in Missouri is exercised by two organizations: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on a federal level and the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) on a state level. In addition, other regulations that could affect a VoIP service were state statutes and University regulations.

Legal issues centered around the telephone companies and what challenges they might make to MOREnet entering the long-distance service and perhaps even the integrator areas. Since many telephone companies are notorious for legal challenges and wrangling, whether meritorious or simply as a delay tactic, evaluating the risk of such a legal challenge was also important.