Four things you should know about the Bush budget and IP telephony

I have been perusing the Bush Administration's newly released budget for Fiscal Year 2006. While there is nothing specific about Internet telephony, there's plenty to chew on about spending for technology regulation, research and implementation.

Which, of course, IP Telephony plays a major role in.

Here are some key takeaways you need to know:

• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office would receive a 10 percent budgetary increase. A stated goal of the $1.7 billion funding level is to "improve the quality and processing times of patents and trademarks." Since numerous IP Telephony-related innovations are patented, and related marketing campaigns are trademarked, faster processing times could accelerate the timeline between the lab and the marketplace.
• The National Institute of Standards and Technology would get a 7.5 percent budget boost to $485 million.This agency handles measurement and standards research for computing and networking systems. In fact, NIST has an ongoing IP Telephony Project. Its stated goal is to "facilitate the development of improved VoIP transport mechanisms and expedite the development of programmable telephony services."
• The Federal Communications Commissionreceives a "Total new budget authority" of $393 million, up 6.5 percent from a projected $369 million this year. The increased monies would presumably give the regulatory agency more wherewithal to (as the budget writers put it) "support the Nation's economy by ensuring that thereis acomprehensive and competitive framework for communications services and devices," and to "promote the growth and rapid deployment of innovative and efficient communications technologies and services."
• The National Science Foundationis slated for$4.3 billion, a 2.7 percent increase over 2005's funding levels.A healthy $509 million of that is for "cyberinfrastructure" research and related activities, including "advanced networks."

What's your view of the funding levels I've discussed? Let's get a lively discussion going. Post a TalkBack.