The Term Has Begun

I've been a slacker as a blogger.  But I'm back!  I've decided what the beginning of a cyberlaw course is:  some technology, not enough for some and too much for others.  I've asked the class to discuss whether lawyers should have to learn about technology.  Maybe some of them will comment on this blog.

My new absorption is to learn about VoIP.  I don't understand how a router can tell whether a particular communication is a ”telephone call” or an email.  As far as I know, the public internet wasn't designed to make sure that there aren't transmission delays.  But humans get very antsy when there's any delay in sound on a phone call.

So VoIP packets have to get priority, somehow.  How does this work?  Does IPv6 provide more information fields so that a router can give priority to a packet that's addressed in a particular way?  Is this why the FCC is looking for comments on IPv6?  Be patient with me, I'm learning.

The FBI wants VoIP to be classified as a telecommunications service, so that the FCC can regulate to ensure back doors to these communications (CALEA-like).  But I bet there are many ways to set up VoIP calls, some more elaborate than others, and it does seem that the FCC is not interested in having some elaborate CALEA mandate for every single one of these services.

And how would CALEA work for all IP calls?  How could you ensure that the back door was always there, without mandating that special routers and special addresses were always used by your citizens?  Wouldn't that amount to creating a new internet?

Yours in VoIP, Susan

January 22, 2004 | Filed Under main page 

Comments

One Response to “The Term Has Begun”

  1. Anonymous on January 24th, 2004 6:31 pm

    IPv4 headers also carry information on the used “Type of Service” but many providers do instruct their routers not to honer them - one reason would be that all people would slap the “no delays please” sticker on their data.
    To my understanding nowadays VoIP is not used over the general internet but over IP infrastructure where you have basically an agreement between all providers in-between you and your main call destination to deliver a certain quality of service.

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