While new and beneficial ways to integrate voice with the Internet are being invented every day, there are several problematic policy proposals that would limit your freedom to speak. Some proposals, rather then trying to embrace and nurture tomorrow's VoIP technologies, are instead trying to force Internet communication technologies into old regulatory boxes meant for last century's phone companies. They have the effect of limiting consumer opportunities and broadband benefits. These proposals collectively would force Internet enabled web sites to:

• Charge you by the minute and require you to have a monthly phone-like bill (for services that today are often offered for free.) Why should a meter run on the Internet?
• Have phone numbers where they are not needed -- just so they can charge you like a phone company, or block the call.
• Try and force the Internet into local and long distance categories so states can control the local part and traditional phone companies can be subsidized by the Internet. When an e-mail crosses an area code, it doesn't cost you any extra -- why should your voice?

• These issues have the potential to eliminate services that are today offered for free as part of websites, blogs, software, and games.
• They would allow rural phone companies to block your calls to friends, families and loved ones.

Its about whether you will have access to the innovative new features and capabilities that the Internet has to offer, or whether your voice will be limited to the phone services of the past. Stand up and fight for your freedom to speak!

Hear about some of the key issues: