Cybertelecom Federal Internet Law & Policy An Educational Project

VoIP: International

International Activity

• ITU Workshop: The Future of Voice Papers and audio video archive available
• World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-02) March 18, 2002 Turkey
• Jan 7-10 ITU IP Telephony Workshop for the Arab Region Damascus, Syria
• ITU 2nd Experts Group Meeting on Opinion D Part 3 (ITU-D) Geneva, 8 - 10 October 2001
• CITEL PCCI Meeting 9/2001 Paraguay
• ITU WTPF IP Telephony Regional Meeting The Arab Region Internet and Telecom Summit Mary 28-30
• ITU Internet Reports 2001: IP Telephony
• EC Communication from the Commission: Status of Voice on the Internet  pdf 12.22.2000
• Responses Received by the Commission
• Mar 7-9 2001 ITU World Telecom Policy Forum: IP Telephony
• Remarks Of Commissioner Susan Ness, ITU World Policy Forum Information Session on IP Telephony Geneva, Switzerland, March 6, 2001
• WTPF, IP Telephony Opinion B
• Report of the Secretary-General on IP Telephony 1/31/01, ITU 3/2/01
• Internet Phone Calls Prompt Changes, AP 3/7/01
• ITU WTPF IP Telephony Real Audio, ITU 3/7/01
ITU IP Telephony Workshop, 14-16 June 2000, Geneva

Countries

See Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, Information Technology Industries Division: Internet Access and IP Telephony

Antigua

• Antigua may move to enforce ban on Voice over Internet Protocol, ITU 7/18/2007

Azerbaijan

Banned. Source: GIPI IP Telephony Slides

Belize

• Trouble in the tropics: Belize telco accused of blocking VoIP , ZDNet (April 24, 2006)

Burundi

Banned. Source: GIPI IP Telephony Slides

Barbados

"Traditional telephone companies are now bracing themselves for the impact as Voice over the Internet threatens to replace traditional telephony over the Public Switched Telephone Network. Voice over the Internet started as a very cheap novelty allowing hobbyists to talk to each other using suitable equipment instead of telephone handsets. It enables two-way speech to be transmitted between personal computers logged onto the Internet and also allows a person to make international calls at very low prices.  The Government is not opposed to individual members of the public accessing voice over the Internet for their personal use.  The provision of voice telecommunications services is a regulated service. ISPs will only be permitted to promote and provide voice services to the public in Phase 3 when they have obtained the appropriate Carrier license."Green Paper on Telecom Sector Policy; Voice over the Internet Govt. of Barbados Dec 2000

Canada

• Regulatory framework for voice communication services using Internet Protocol, CRTC 5/13/2005
• CRTC expected to rein in big phone companies on VoIP service, Globe and Mail 5/6/2005

China

"Launched in May 1999, China Unicom today has the world's largest VoIP network implementation in the world, accounting for usage of over 2.5 million minutes a day, ten million calling cards, and revenues of US $200,000 a day."IP Telephony to have a dramatic impact on Asian Voice, Data Markets OnTheInternet June 2001

• China Telecom Rate Hike May Benefit VoIP New Telephony 11/15/02

Costa Rica

• Costa Rica May Criminalize VoIP, TechWeb 3/4/2005

Croatia

Banned Source: GIPI IP Telephony Slides

Estonia

• VoIP/IP Telephony in Estonia: Disrupted by Botnets?, CircleID 5/22/2007

Europe

• Commission Staff Working Paper Document on the Treatment of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) under the EU Regulatory Framework: An Information and Consultation Document (June 14, 2004)
• Comments due August 31, 2004
• EU New Regulatory Framework
• Concern for "Significant Market Power"
• Directive 90/388/ECC
• Supplement to Directive 90/388/EEC
• Comments on Status of voice on the Internet under Directive 90/388/EEC
• Related Directives:
• Universal Service Directive
• Authorization Directive
• Access and Interconnection Directive
• Privacy Directive
• 2001 EU VoIP Consultations: reaffirmed 1998 position, observed that the quality of IP telephony over a single network has improved
• 1998 DG Competition Consultation: VoIP should not be treated as voice telephony unless they are offered commercially and separately to the public as voice services; they are provided to and from PSTN termination points; and they are offered in real time at the same level of speech quality and reliability as is offered by the PSTN
• Scott Marcus, The Potential Relevance to the United States of the European Union's Newly Adopted Regulatory Framework for Telecommunications, Rethinking Rights and Regulations: Institutional Responses to New Communications Technologies (MIT Press 2003)

France

ITA France - Information on Access to the Internet & Internet Protocol (IP) Telephony Sept. 1999

Germany

• German Unit to Block VoIP Applications , TMCnet (July 14, 2005)
• VoIP backlash in Germany? , ZDNet (July 13, 2005)

India

"It wont be fully legal in India until April 2002."

• TRAI recommendations on VoIP,  2002
• IP Telephony to have a dramatic impact on Asian Voice, Data Markets OnTheInternet June 2001
• Govt. India, Dept. Telecommunications, Internet Service, Internet Telephony

Japan

Legal. IP Telephony to have a dramatic impact on Asian Voice, Data Markets OnTheInternet June 2001

Mexico

• Mexico Warms Up to Voice Over Internet Service, Reuters 12/21/2004

Mozambique

Banned Source: GIPI IP Telephony Slides

Korea

Legal. IP Telephony to have a dramatic impact on Asian Voice, Data Markets OnTheInternet June 2001

Singapore

Legal IP Telephony to have a dramatic impact on Asian Voice, Data Markets OnTheInternet June 2001

Malta

PROVISION OF VOICE OVER IP SERVICES BY ISPS – MCA CLARIFICATION Published:&nbsp27-Dec-2002
Packet Switched Voice Services Report and Guidelines Dec 2002

Pakistan

Banned. Source GIPI IP Telephony Slides

Panama

Prohibiting UDP (Internet telephony) traffic.

• VoIP gets level pegging in Panama, CNET 1/23/2004
• Por la cual el Ente Regulador de los Servicios Públicos ordena a los concesionarios del Servicio No. 211 SERVICIO INTERNET PARA USO PUBLICO bloquear 24 puertos de acceso User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Alternate Link
• Panama suspends Net-phoning order, CNET 12/2/02
• Panama cracks down on Net telephony CNET 11/12/02
• Panama begins blocking IP ports Linux 11/3/02

Senegal

Banned. Source: GIPI IP Telephony Slides

UK

OFTEL "Frequently asked questions on the regulation of Voice over Internet Protocol services," 2002

Internet Telephony Service Providers Association

Zimbabwe

Restricted - "In others, like Zimbabwe, VoIP is permitted only if the competing service providers pay heavy license fees that are not imposed on the incumbent." - J Riley Allen, Rural Access to ICTs in Southern Africa, p 7, TPRC 2003