VoIP Tax

After reading this report from ZDNET, it occured to me that local VoIP proponents could argue that deregulating the VoIP market will result in higher tax collections.  After all, as the price goes down, the market should expand and on the whole, the entire tax base should expand.  Of course, armchair economics don’t substitute for the real thing but this is the sort of stuff VoIP advocates should busy themselves with.  They must articulate a solid economic and social argument for de-regulating VoIP.  As far as I know, this hasn’t been done.  Without that, how can the dialogue with the telcos begin?  So for now, we’re letting the lawyers monopolize the talk.  And this won’t let us get any closer to a resolution of the problem. 

VoIP is a disruptive technology but also one that may become obsolete in a one or two years’ time.  Emerging technolgoies will bring about new business models.  If the NTC does not act fast, everyone might miss the boat.