Federal judge bars states from collecting on VoIP providers

From C-Net:

  Court's call: Hands off VoIP

  In ruling from the bench late Tuesday, Minneapolis, Minn., federal Judge
  Michael J. Davis permanently barred Minnesota from applying traditional
  telephone rules [obtaining a telephone operator's license or paying fees to
  support 911 services] to Vonage.

    -- http://news.com.com/2100-7352_3-5088158.html

Slashdot references another article:

  A federal court has issued a permanent injunction against a recent ruling
  by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to regulate Voice over IP
  provider Vonage as a telephone company.

It goes on to say,

  Vonage had maintained that it does not provide telephone service. Instead,
  lawyers for Vonage contended, the company offers data services over the
  internet.

  On a 3-0 vote, the MPUC, noting that in its advertisement Vonage calls
  itself "a phone company," ruled against the company.

    -- http://www.voxilla.com/Article28.phtml

Hmm, sounds like they are trying to have it both ways.

-- 
Apathy Club meeting this Friday.  If you want to come, you're not invited.

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