COMPANIES offering internet-based phone services in the US have been given just 120 days to ensure that their lines provide access to the emergency services, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled last week.
Internet phone services, known as voice over internet protocol or VoIP, have been heralded as the future of telephony, as they promise virtually free phone calls. But the FCC ruling threatens to burst the VoIP bubble. The new rules are likely to push up the cost of VoIP calls, and could also reduce competition by squeezing smaller companies out of the market.
Unlike traditional phone calls, VoIP…
