TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Clearwire May Block VoIP Competitors

Clearwire May Block VoIP Competitors

Jack Decker (jack-yahoogroups@withheld)
Fri, 25 Mar 2005 12:20:55 -0500

http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml?articleId=159905955

Clearwire May Block VoIP Competitors

Vonage says it's been blocked; Company's terms of service "prohibits"
use of certain high-bandwidth applications.

By Paul Kapustka,
Advanced IP Pipeline 2:32 AM EST Fri. Mar. 25, 2005

Someday, customers of wireless broadband provider Clearwire Corp. may
be able to use Voice over IP services. But right now, Craig McCaw's
newest company is giving its customers the silent treatment by
apparently blocking outside VoIP providers from its network.

In what the company claims is an effort to preserve the performance of
its pre-standard WiMAX network, Clearwire says it reserves the right
to prohibit the use of a wide range of bandwidth-hungry applications,
a list that apparently includes VoIP as well as the uploading or
downloading of streaming video or audio, and high-traffic Web site
hosting. According to the company's terms of service, Clearwire
reserves the right to restrict access or terminate service to
customers who don't comply with its rules.

While a company executive claimed the restrictions were necessary to
ensure network performance reliability, Clearwire could not explain
how that issue would be resolved when it offers its own VoIP services
in the near future. Earlier this month, Clearwire signed an agreement
with Bell Canada under which Bell Canada will provide VoIP systems and
services for Clearwire, at a date and price yet to be announced.

Full story at:
http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml?articleId=159905955

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Aren't there, in most communities a
choice of other highspeed data services, such as AOL? PAT]

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