Ofcom Tightens the Reins for VoIP Providers
Source: www.voip-news.com
Ofcom, the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industry, has announced that they are tightening things up in terms of VoIP service providers. Customers will now be required to sign a document confirming their understanding that they will not be able to dial emergency service numbers during power outages, and now all equipment will be labeled to that effect as well.
The industry body that represents UK VoIP providers, the Internet Telephony Service Providers’ Association (ITSPA), was a bit slow to warm to this news. “Although they are broadly acceptable, ITSPA is wary that the detail of the new rules may have unfortunate implications for UK businesses and consumers,” said the body in a recent statement. “Members have expressed a number of fundamental concerns with the statement,” it said. “VoIP will be subject to a stricter regulatory framework than any other technology within the UK telecommunications industry. These new regulations will be particularly hard to enforce against providers who are based overseas, but market their services within the UK. This will be a significant threat to the UK consumer, who may not be aware of the disparity.”
“VoIP services continue to have a greater and greater impact on the UK communications sector. Over the last year, a range of new services has been launched and uptake has increased significantly,” Ofcom said recently. “In time, VoIP services have the potential to offer significant new benefits to consumers, including more competition and choice, lower prices and new services such as second lines and nomadic services.”
