In recent years numbers people all over the world are choosing VoIP telephony instead of usual PSTN services. Thus the governments of many countries are trying to regulate VoIP as they’ve done it for years.
USA
The FCC (Federal Communication Commission) demands the VoIP operators not offering Echanced 911 to attach a sticker warning their clients of unavailability of this service. Also, VoIP operators had been obliged to support CALEA wiretapping. The acts against wiretapping and network neutrality may be passed as well.
Latin America and Caribbean
Some countries, in which the telephone companies are owned by the state, are beware of the rising VoIP popularity. For example, in Panama VoIP services are taxed. In Ethiopia it is even a criminal offense to use VoIP services. More, the firewalls had been installed to prevent even incoming VoIP calls.
European Union
In EU it is up to each country’s telecom regulator to decide upon VoIP service providers. Mainly there are two types of VoIP providers: using managed networks (such as broadband connection) and unmanaged networks (such as Internet).
VoIP operators using managed networks may be compared to PSTN telephone services, thus the obligations of price control or accounting separation may be imposed to them.
VoIP operators using unmanaged networks are usually suspected of rendering poor quality services; thus commonly such services may be provided without any special sanctions.
India
It is allowed to use VoIP in this country, but it is not allowed to have gateways in India. It means certain degree of complexity to the users calling to usual phones.
UAE
It is not forbidden to use VoIP services in UAE, just one notice – Skype and Gizmo Project sites are blocked.