government green light for voip and eng

engin (ENG)

engin (ENG) -- Looking Very Good.

Hot Off the Press.

Looks like VOIP players such as engin (ENG) in particular will Now Get the Offical Government Green Light.!!

-- slightly edited version re-produced below.....

Australian Financial Review (AFR) 22 November 2005

Internet phones get the nod

By AFR writer: Ben Woodhead

22 November 2005
Australian Financial Review

Home internet telephone services such as engin (ENG) will be given the all clear today in a federal government report that recommends the technology be treated in a similar way to traditional fixed-line phones.
It will also call for a new numbering system to identify voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephone calls.
The report, requested a year ago by Communications Minister Helen Coonan, is an important step forward for Australia's nascent VoIP industry, which has long sought clarity on how the technology would be regulated. This ought to be a boost for leading VOIP providers like engin (ENG)
According to a summary issued yesterday by the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA), the report will recommend a two-step approach to managing VoIP that at least in the short term allows the technology to be defined as a standard phone service.
"VoIP expands the range of services that fall within this definition, raising questions about what is a 'standard' service and whether all such services should be regulated to the same degree," DCITA's summary says.
"In the short term, these issues appear to be more encouraging and manageable for players like engin (ENG) -- with some regulatory finetuning within the current framework and appropriate consumer awareness strategies. No changes to primary legislation have been identified as necessary."

However, the other goodish news is that the report also advises that a number of longer-term strategies be developed to address the growing role of so-called next generation network technologies such as VoIP.


The longer-term strategies for provides like engin (ENG) would be unlikely to come into effect during the next three years and would deal with issues such as inter-operability, critical infrastructure vulnerability, competition and next generation messaging services.

The short-term strategy, which would run for two to three years, would finetune existing regulations to accommodate VoIP providers such as engin (ENG) --and ensure that providers met the customer service obligations of standard telephone system operators.


In the interim, the report highlights some priorities for VoIP providers and regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority, including rules for the provision of free VoIP emergency calls to 000 and 016.


"The framework to protect public safety and assist with law enforcement and national security remains very important," DCITA says in the summary.

"This includes obligations and measures relating to emergency call services, access, interception, privacy and the protection of security and critical infrastructure."
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