VOIP Slap Down follow up

to follow up on this and this this

further Globe and Mails articles :
Primus service nips at telcos' heels gives more details and background.

Primus is the first to move but others, such as large cable television companies like Shaw Communications Inc., are poised to introduce their own service by next year....Numerous observers have said that local phone prices, set by the federal regulator, are already too low in Canada, discouraging competition. But Primus Canada has undercut those rates by at least 15 per cent, and as much as a third when options such as voice mail and call display are included....Until now, Sprint Canada Inc. was the only national competitor to the former monopolies in the local market.... the company resells traditional service rather than taking a new approach. It has had modest success at best, attracting about 200,000 customers -- a fraction of Telus's and Bell's almost 12 million connections.

and another background article Net phones just a small device away. Small hook-up box needed but some say they likely won't replace fixed lines


Cell phones--the next dinosaur : concerning Vonage's deal to ebed its software on chips from Texas Instruments.. allowing any broadband-connected device can hook into the Vonage network. more details here

The metaphysics of VoIP. regarding whether VoIP.. should be classified as an "information service" or a "telecommunications service" under existing federal or state regulatory policies. If VoIP falls under telecommunications, then it is subject to public-utility economic regulation. If it is an information service, then it is not." Wathout who wins this regulatory/political battle. the phone lobby is a big player, but they are NOT all on the same side.

Here is more background: Broadband top issue in 2004, U.S. regulator says