Technology

EU may force cell carriers to allow VoIP

Legislation to force carriers to allow VoIP to run on cellular networks is in the works in the European Union – and the issue could be coming to a state n...

Federal News Network Staff

April 14, 2009 6:00 am

< a min read

Legislation to force carriers to allow VoIP to run on cellular networks is in the works in the European Union – and the issue could be coming to a state near you.

European carriers view VoIP technology as a threat to their business model and have widely banned VoIP from being used on their networks. This is because VoIP calls generally cost the caller less than traditional phone calls.

EU is considering guidelines that could force wireless operators to allow mobile VoIP services to run over their data networks. The recent decision by a German company to block VoIP could lead to the EU raising antitrust charges against the carrier.

This could likely become an issue in the United States, reports VoIP Biz News.com

An open-Internet advocacy group asked the FCC to investigate whether Apple and AT&T are violating federal rules by limiting use of Skype’s iPhone service.

The request by Free Press could open up a broader review of the ways in which wireless companies control the use of their networks in the U.S.