Philippine bill would reclassify VoIP as value-added service: incumbents fear revenue pinch

The Philippine Congress is considering a new bill that would reclassify VoIP phone calls as value-added services rather than voice calls.

Currently, only telecommunication firms with a franchise granted by the island nation's Congress can offer voice calls.

If House Bill 3476 goes through, and subsequent action by the nation's National Telecommunications Commissionfacilitates the reclassification, non-telecommunications Philippine firms would be to offer VoIP. This capability would likely to cut into the long-distance revenue of established phone companies.

Don't expect thePhilippine's established telecommunications industry to passively agree to the proposed changes.Not without a fight.

New technology providers against incumbent carriers? Sounds a lotlike the good ol' U.S.A.