If God existed, HE would be atheist.

Reps. Boucher and Terry have introduced a bill that would support universal service (roughly, telephone service in rural areas) by imposing a tax on any entity providing voice communications over any platform.

So the bill defines "communications service providers" to include any entity that "uses telephone numbers or Internet protocol addresses, or their functional equivalents or successors, to offer a service or a capability that provides or enables real-time voice communications; and in which the voice component is the primary function."

This must mean that any provider of free voice services is covered too, whether or not they connect to the traditional telephone network. This must cover Skype. The idea is that the FCC is supposed to begin a rulemaking that would lead to charging "communications service providers" for universal service.

Section 4 (starting on p. 17 of the draft) says that another rulemaking is supposed to establish mandatory rules for tracking all services -- presumably so that USF can be assessed. This section is truly startling. It appears, among other things, to outlaw encrypted online traffic.



Susan Crawford



I do not find it startling at all.

I expect even more.

I expect they will try to find the way to charge every call, as they did with the old telephone service.

Why should they say good bye to one of the biggest income?

If God existed HE would be atheist.

If our Governments behaved in the sake of their citizens' they wouldn't be what they are.