CEA Against Sate VOIP Regulation

The CEA released a statement commending efforts to preempt state VOIP regulation and urges the FCC to act quickly.

Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro released the following statement in response to the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committeehearing examining the regulatory treatment for voice over the Internet protocol (VoIP):

“VoIP is an emerging technology that will revolutionize the way people communicate. This exciting new technology will be a key element in driving consumer demand and adoption of broadband. Based on the testimony given at this week’s hearing, there is clear consensus among industry and policy leaders that the Federal Communications Commission must act swiftly to preempt VoIP services from state regulation to allow the technology to flourish.

“We applaud the leadership of Representatives Cliff Stearns and Rick Boucher, as well as that of Representative Charles Pickering and Senator John Sununu for championing legislation that calls for state preemption. We look forward to working with the Commission to develop a federal nationwide policy on VoIP services and to bring the full benefits of VoIP to consumers nationwide.”