The European Commission is to study internet telephony to see whether it should come under its regulations. European Commissioner Karel van Miert, the man responsible for regulating telecoms competition within the European single market, wants interested parties to submit their observations on internet telephony. He says the commission must establish whether internet telephony is a basic vocal telephony and therefore should become subject to individual licensing procedures or others that apply to basic vocal telephony services. At present, according to the Commission, telephony services fall outside this category. The idea is not to push them [internet phone service providers] into a straightjacket but we want to make sure that normal conditions (apply) to everyone on the market place, said Van Miert. The Commission wants to establish a flexible legal framework in which traditional voice telephony operators and companies offering telephony services on internet will be placed on an equal footing. It will give interested parties two months for comments.
