There’s a lot going on with the FCC (News - Alert) in regards to VoIP regulation, and the news points out that FCC Commission Chairman, Julius Genachowski, as well as Commissioner Robert McDowell are leaving their posts. Genachowski has played a prominent role in monitoring and regulating technology, where as McDowell has long been a critic of the FCC’s net neutrality rules. This news has, of course, brought about a kerfuffle over the future of VoIP regulation.

All of the ideas out there are pure speculation at this point, however the personnel shift at the FCC leaves much to be imagined. The fact of the matter is, phone service based on VoIP is not a telecommunications service, rather an information service, and the difference in definition means that VoIP is not regulated the same way.

Battle lines are being laid out. Should the FCC regulate the interconnection of telecommunications networks that are based on IP technology?

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 sets forth the differences in the definition and regulation of these services. Regulation and policy toward VoIP has always been lagging in the United States, exacerbated by the competition for authority between the federal center and the states. The FCC has always narrowly favored light regulation of VoIP, but many states have been hostile to any attempt to diminish their power to regulate telecom operators within their territory.

The personnel change over at the FCC means that those next in line will have to deal with a decline of traditional phone service, the pros and cons of VoIP regulation and the standardizing of services.

India has followed suit, as The National Telecom policy will be forced to change as the government in India sets forth regulations that allow full VoIP services to be used in the country.

India’s national telecom policy 2012, which will be implemented this year, will open up full Internet telephony in the country. This may put additional pricing pressure on Indian telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel (News - Alert), Vodafone and Idea Cellular. Voice service has become a commodity in India and mobile service providers are unable to find adequate growth from voice business.

Regulators from both sides of the pond face the difficult task of balancing the public interest and the continued promotion of the advancement of emerging technologies.