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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Carlo Longino

Tue, Oct 25th 2005 2:06pm





Carriers Won't Block Your VoIP, They'll Just Screw It Up

from the gee-thanks dept

Some company gained themselves a decent amount of press last month by announcing they'd built an appliance for carriers and ISPs to block Skype, VoIP and other kinds of traffic on their networks. The concept really isn't new: ISPs are no strangers to things like port blocking, and their efforts to get people to use their services instead of competitors' (via whatever means necessary) for things like VoIP are intensifying. It's little surprise, then, that VoIP-blocking is a growing industry, and some other company's got a new product out that doesn't go as far as outright blocking voice traffic, it just messes with it enough to degrade call quality. It's an interesting take on network neutrality: we won't block your service, that would be wrong -- but we will make it unusable. This really isn't unprecedented. After all, at least one ISP has told VoIP providers they must get "certified" or else their service to any of the ISP's customers might get "inadvertently" cut off.

11 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    SOLIDUS, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 2:53pm

    No Subject Given

    Wow, as usual the big guys getting greedy again...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 3:19pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    Wouldnt the FCC have some sort of say in this, seeing as how more and more people (myself included) use VOIP instead of a landline? I'd like to see what the ISP's response would be if they blocked a call to 911.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    nonuser, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 3:20pm

    meet the new Bell...

    Same as the old Bell...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    amazon10x, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 3:31pm

    No Subject Given

    The FCC and possible the FTC will most likely get involved with this. Though before that happens I can definetely see the ads:

    "For just 34.95 per month upgrade to our premium VoIP DSL"

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Tyler McDowall, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 4:47pm

    Re: 911 and FCC

    Exactly, providers can't stop a system which is used to call 911 because they didn't host the service which uses there services.

    The company is also required to state that in their Terms of Service, because people are renting connectivity, speed and bandwidth. If its not stated they are breaking their own agreement.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Linsys, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 5:48pm

    Re: 911 and FCC

    "Exactly, providers can't stop a system which is used to call 911 because they didn't host the service which uses there services."

    Yes they can... ISPs DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW FCC RULES... Telecommunication companies DO have to follow FCC rules, which is why they where fined when they where blocking VoiP traffic on their network.

    The FCC needs to step in and put an end to ISPs blocking ports and VoIP services.

    For instance comcast blocks outbound port 25 over their network to stop spamers from sending spam off their network.

    Companies like this could just as easily block what ever other ports they wanted to...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    linsys, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 5:53pm

    Re: 911 and FCC

    You all might want to read this:

    http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/internet.html

    Basicly it stats that the FCC does NOT regulate ISPs.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Zealot, Oct 25th, 2005 @ 6:09pm

    Who Does It

    From what I've heard, most of the companies that do this are not in America, i.e., not under FCC regulation. India's state-run telecommunications company, for example, uses it to block VoIP calls so they can force their country's residents to pay outlandish taxes on the government service.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Oct 26th, 2005 @ 3:37pm

    Pay for certification or else...

    "That's a lovely packet you've got there... it would be a shame to see anything happen to it, know what we mean?"

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 11:06am

    Re: Who Does It

    Clearwire in the USA blocks VOIP, you can hear incoming just outgoing is scrambled. Call Clearwire and they proudly say they "do not support" VOIP. Blocking is blocking, by any other name is still Blocking. 1(888)253-2794

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Heidiland, Mar 22nd, 2009 @ 4:34pm

    RCN in Astoria, NY is blocking skype

    same here, on outgoing video only. Calls cut after one minute. Can anyone recommend ISP that still allow voip video in the area?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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