The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau has recently released a new brief in their Wisconsin Briefs series entitled, Voice Over Internet Protocol: New Telephone Service Poses Regulatory Challenges. Wisconsin Briefs are produced the LRB Reference section focusing on topics of current interest often based on frequency of questions to the Reference Desk.
From the abstract:
Telephone service choices are becoming more complex. Wireless telephony is already widely used, but consumers can now receive telephone service by using their broadband computer modems. Should the federal and state governments regulate this service in much the same way as standard telephone service, or is a different approach appropriate? Several states have begun to address the regulatory issues, but the federal government may end up preempting state authority. Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission continues to study the issue, and the 2003 Wisconsin Legislature considered but did not enact legislation on VoIP.