Verizon fights VoIP regulation in Oregon

Verizon is pushing a bill in Oregon to block state and local regulators from being able to oversee phone calls over the Internet. Competitors and consumer advocates are, as one might expect, not pleased.

An administrator for the Oregon Public Utility Commission believes if the House Bill 2404 is passed as written, it would exempt VoIP from consumer fraud protection. Verizon doesn't want VoIP subject to the same oversight for fees and standards as traditional telephony.

Verizon is using the argument that it and other carriers are more likely to invest in new technologies when such services won't be subject to new regulation, but local cable TV "watchdogs" believe the bill's definitions are so vague that it could exempt cable TV from oversight. Phone company rivals believe that the bill could free Verizon from competitive open network requirements.

Public advocacy groups believe the Oregon bill would enable Verizon to shift customers to an unlimited Internet calling plan and hike prices, while Verizon argues that all the old consumer protections would remain in place and that consumers could still choose the standard, regulated POTS offering if Internet calling prices were too high.

For more:
- OregonLive article [1].