另類科技對電訊傳播政策的影響：網際網路電話引發的規避問題

Alternative Technologies and Impacts on Telecommunications Regulations: The Issue of Bypassing in the Internet Telephony

由於訊號壓縮、電腦軟體及網路通訊技術的突飛猛進，網際網路為語音溝通管道的可能性大為增加。許多電腦軟體公司紛紛販售各式各樣的電腦套裝軟體，讓網際網路使用者可以在網際網路上面打當地、長途、以及國際電話。因此，美國電訊協會(ACTA)在一九九六年三月向聯邦傳播委員會(FCC)提出了訴願，要求該委員會立法禁止網路語音軟體的販售，期能阻止「對網際網路的濫用(misuse)」。「網際網路電話」科技先將聲音轉換成電磁波訊號，並藉著標準電話網路來傳送。使用者須用硬體設備將發話端聲音數位化，受話者另須用相同或相容的設備把訊號解碼。「網際網路電話」使用者須要有電腦、網路帳號、網路語音軟體和硬體等設備。據估計，到去年底至少有50萬份的「網際網路電話」軟體售出。預計到1997年底，將有400萬份軟體在市面上流通。「網際網路電話」最主要的優點是利用網路科技來讓網路使用者以低價來打電話。另一個好處是將競爭引入目前的電信市場，有益於一般消費者和公共利益。不過，將「網際網路電話」引入現有電話市場的後遺症是將對「普遍化服務」提供產生影響。除此之外，「網際網路電話」本身仍有許多缺點，如：市場上缺乏共通標準：通話雙方須同時上線，單方上線無法通話；分封包裝傳輸方式所產生的聲音遲緩和斷續，以及通話品質的低劣。就電訊傳播政策而言，「網際網路電話」所引發的問題有整合下的電信市場規約模式的制定；競爭電信市場的秩序之維持，以及引發的社會公益的相關問題；電信市場的網路的規避現象(Network bypassing)，對傳統電信市場產生的影響等。本篇論文即來討論以下問題：1.目前「網際網路電話」的發展涵況。2.在「網際網路電話」法規管制辯論上，各方論點。3.「網際網路電話」引發的法規管制問題。4.「網路規避」現象對電信市場的影響。5.未來的「網際網路電話」法規管制問題。

Advances in voice signal compression, computer software, and networking technologies have made the Internet a feasible and competitive channel for voice communication. Computer software companies such as VocalTec, Inc., Internet Telephony Company, and Digiphone are selling different software packages that can turn the Internet into a telephone network to make local, long-distance, and even international telephone calls. As a result, the America's Carriers Telecommunication Association (ACTA) filed a petition on March 4, 1996 to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to stop the sales of Voice-On-the-Net (VON) software. The FCC has published a Public Notice to request comments from interested parties in this matter. Internet telephony is a new application resulting from the convergence of computing and telephony technologies. It uses a combination of computer programs, hardware, and an Internet connection to transform the Internet into a voice communication network. The introduction of the Internet telephony into the telecommunications service marketplace has advantages of cost-reduction for telecommunications service users and of the increase in the efficiency in the marketplace. However, from the public interest perspective, a major setback from increasing competition is the endangering of universal service provision. The introduction of the Internet telephony allows telephone users to bypass existing telephone service operators. Although a systematic study regarding why users choose to bypass is still lacking, popular literature has shown consistently that the economic (cost saving) reason plays a major role in their decision. In spite of bypassing activities are nothing new in the telecommunications industry, the emergence of the Internet telephony has added complexities to this issue. In spite of the ACTA's call for FCC's action on the Internet telephony, there are still controversies on whether and how the FCC should regulate this new application. For policy makers, the difficulties result from the innovative nature of this technology, complexities in defining telecommunications service providers, the lack of appropriate regulatory models, and public interest concerns. More broadly, the issue of regulating Internet telephony is also woven into how the Internet, per se, should be regulated. This paper is aimed to examine the following issues: 1) Describe current developments of the Internet telephony in the United States. 2) Discuss stakeholders' position in the Internet telephony regulations. 3) Examine regulatory issues due to the introduction of the Internet telephony. 4) Discuss the impact of Internet telephony on bypassing issue. 5) Predict future regulatory trends of the Internet telephony regulation.