Comcast to offer Net phone service

[dArKeR]

Cable company plans aggressive roll out of VOIP service
Updated: 1:35 p.m. ET May 26, 2004

NEW YORK - Comcast Corp. said Wednesday it will offer Internet-based telephone service to more than 40 million households by 2006, as it follows a host of other cable operators challenging local telephone companies.

Comcast, the nation’s largest cable television company, said it would begin an aggressive roll-out of telephone service with a technology known as VOIP, or Voice-over-Internet protocol, which allows phone calls to be transmitted using a cable modem over high-speed data lines.

Comcast also said that non-Executive Chairman C. Michael Armstrong has stepped down and will be replaced by Chief Executive Brian Roberts.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5066666/

[Tempest]

1. Say goodbye to free VOIP

As one of the largest Internet providers, Comcast can filter out VOIP traffic not using its software and force everyone to pay extra for using VOIP.

Other Internet providers will soon follow suit.

[rabid_nerd]

2. Blocking Vonage.com would be anti-trust

wouldn't it?

I have Vonage.com

[Tempest]

3. Not if it's carried over Comcast's network

There's been a couple of court cases where Internet providers (I think it was SBC and AOL) were sued, or sued, and won. They own the bandwidth.

Vonage would have to pay Comcast to carry their traffic, but I would bet Comcast won't allow it in order for subscribers to use their own services.

Once everyone is on Comcast's VOIP, naturally they'll start charging an arm and a leg for it.