"We cannot avoid this question any longer. It is very likely that treatment of VoIP will have some of the farthest reaching consequences of anything this commission has done or will do." - FCC chairman Michael Powell
Internet based telephone services such as VoIP (voice over IP) is an emerging market, and many fear that if things aren't got right from word go, many problems will surface in the future to prevent us from getting all we could from this technology. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Michael Powell, for example, believe that if US states are allowed to regulate VoIP, then it will be a complete disaster - a patchwork of conflicting rules will ensue, in a similar fashion to the problems with the conventional phone business.
Therefore, the chief communications regulator in the USA will seek broad regulatory authority for the US federal government over internet-based telephone services.