VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) provider Vonage says that despite the FCC giving the smackdown to an ISP for blocking 3rd party VoIP services, Vonage’s VoIP calls are being blocked again, by both a cable operator, and a wireless broadband operator, although Vonage declined to name names in public. In private, however, Vonage is working with the FCC to bring the culprits to justice.
In the previous caseon River Communications, a North Carolina provider of Internet services which also just happens to operate four small telephone companies, pleaded “no contest” to blocking the VoIP data of Vonage, paid a $15,000 fine, and promised to never do it again, if they had done it, which they aren’t saying they did.
Without knowing who the cable company or wireless broadband operator currently blocking Vonage are, it’s difficult to predict the outcome of the current situation, but given the growth of VoIP services, and the keen interest being shown by many major ISPs, it’s safe to assume that they either have a financial stake in one or more telephone companies, or are offering VoIP services themselves, or soon will be.
Of course, they are going about it all the wrong way. Savvy VoIP-providing service providers who want to play one-up on their competitors know that the way is not to block the competitor, but to give a boost to their own service. This offers the same effect, while keeping them out from under the microscope. And you can read more about that here.
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