Residential and Business VoIP Customers to Benefit from New Regulations

With the rapid proliferation of residential and business VoIP services, the FCC is now mulling over some regulatory changes in regards to the handling of VoIP. In fact, the regulatory body is planning to expand standard telecommunication regulations to VoIP services as well.

Though newly introduced mandates generally tend to get a bad wrap, the just unveiled FCC regulations may bring a variety of benefits to the VoIP industry which has been waiting for key policies that would help improve efficiency and service delivery.

VoIP allows for the delivery of voice communications over the Internet. The service is extremely affordable; however, there are concerns over voice quality and privacy. And VoIP can be vulnerable to hacking and are heavily used by perpetrators of crime and violence. In fact, VoIP call tracking has been one of the biggest challenges to operators. 

According to TheDigest.com, new regulations for VoIP providers will do more good to the industry than bad as it will help facilitate a competitive, reliable and cheap service to customers.

The company revealed the top five ways VoIP customers will benefit from changing regulations. 

VoIP is known for its ability to support communications even during natural disasters, so the service is extremely useful in emergency services. Customers can rest assured that their phone services are reliable even during disasters.

Further, the FCC will support VoIP as it provides cheap telephony features to end-users. The focus of FCC will be to prevent monopolies. Monopoy stifles competition. Healthy competition is what gives both small providers and big providers the ability to offer cheap competitive prices.

Both residential and business VoIP services are so cheap to begin with, and regulations will maintain this competitive market for the benefit of users.

Another good thing about new regulation will be the forced interconnection between VoIP providers, meaning one provider must respect phone traffic from a different provider. This will ensure that customers get smooth and efficient phone communications, no matter what number they need to call.

The regulations will also stress anti-discrimination clauses which operators must abide by in order to stay in business. Such a firm regulation will officially guarantee that all VoIP users have the right for service regardless of their race, gender, or religion affiliation.

Last but not the least, mandates will guarantee that 911 emergency calls made from VoIP users will be connected to first responders. All VoIP providers are already required by law to offer a 911 service, so customers don’t need to expect this to change their service in any way.

Edited by Jamie Epstein