Adam Thierer

So you say nothing has changed in the telecom world?

A lot of policymakers at both the federal and state level are still running around regulating telecom markets as if nothing has changed in the past decade. Well, when they can find time to put down their cell phones and Blackberrys for a minute, they might want to take a look at what the Atlanta-based Fonix Corporation announced yesterday.


Fonix’s LecStar Telecom affiliate has successfully tested VoIP over broadband over power lines (BPL) along with a southern utility provider. And LecStar is now partnering with other utilities to begin more widespread deployment of VoIP and broadband services over BPL throughout the south.

Think about this for a second… packet-switched communications and broadband service over a line owned by a local electrical company. Just think what happens when certain electric giants start offering VoIP-BLP as merely an small charge add-on to your power bill. With no more need for the old circuit-switched copper phone lines, the old telco giants could be in serious trouble. And if the power companies can find a way to cut some deals and get some good content to pump over their lines, then cable and satellite companies are going to be in real trouble too.

Meanwhile, millions of consumers continue to “cut the cord” entirely and just opt of wireless service for most of their communications needs.

And yet policymakers continue to regulate this industry as if it’s still 1934, the year the original Communications Act was penned.

August 18, 2004 | Comments |

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