Task Force reviewing national telecommunication regulations

As with any widespread system like phone networks, there is bound to be a number of rules and regulations put in place. Legacy solutions likely need to be updated frequently especially as technology is changing the way a traditional operation works. This is the case right now with the telecommunication industry as sweeping changes could be in the works because of the growing adoption of VoIP solutions.

The newly formed Technology Transitions Policy Task Force, which had its first meeting in early March, is in the process of reviewing thousands of pages of Federal Communications Commission regulations and rules. Some of them have been on the books for almost 80 years. The main goal of this process is to bring the nation's legacy telephone industry into the Internet age.

According to a report in the Gazette, less than 30 percent of homes and businesses in the U.S. continue to use wireline phone service because of the rise of less expensive options like VoIP. Despite this, the FCC currently requires telecommunication providers to maintain both traditional landlines and VoIP options.

"If they don't provide a landline, they are required to charge a higher price for the Internet," Justyn Miller, the chief executive officer of South Slope Cooperative Communications in North Liberty, told the news source. "The rules were written to make sure that landlines existed across the United States."

As business communication options continue to evolve, companies should partner with an IT consulting firm that understands the complicated nature of the VoIP industry.

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