VoIP wins exemption from USF in Nebraska

It looks like there's finally a silver lining to Vonage's recent woes; the U.S. District Court in Lincoln has ruled the troubled company isn't required to pay universal service fees to the Nebraska Public Service Commission. The VoIP provider has maintained that it's exempt from paying the fee because it's an information service, not a telecom. Carriers are charged by states to help subsidize service in poor and rural areas and to schools and community organizations. Telcos want Vonage and other VoIP providers to play by the same rules they're required to abide by, and to pay the same fees.

Vonage won a similar suit against the Public Service Commission in Minnesota. The Nebraska ruling also means other VoIP providers offering service in Nebraska will no longer be required to pay service fees. The NPSC has until April 2 to appeal the ruling.

For more:
- Read the Associated Press story [1]
 
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FCC levies service fees on VoIP operators Report [3]