Of course, there's the question of whether they'd have the same opinion on services routing stuff from the Internet to phones & vice-versa. Still, it's nice to see them having a bit of sense. -Allen

White House: No Need To Regulate Voice software

WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration has recommended that the Federal Communications Commission not regulate firms that sell software that enables voice communications by users of the Internet.

The Commerce Department letter to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt was in

[...]

Larry Irving, head of the department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, argued that the software companies that are the object of ACTA's petition provide no communications services, but merely offer goods that enable individuals to engage in voice communications.

Irving said those companies "are no more providing telecommunications services than are the vendors of the telephone handsets, fax machines and other customer premises equipment that make communications possible."

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