Canadian gov't calls off watchdog on VoIP

November 16, 2006 The Canadian government said Wednesday it will reverse a recent decision by the country's broadcast watchdog to regulate Internet-based phone competition, a move that blocks planned regulation of the Internet. Maxime Bernier, the federal minister of industry, said he will stop the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission from carrying through with attempts to regulate voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services. Ottawa's intervention will stop the CRTC from setting pricing and competition rules for new Internet-based phone services, just as it already does for conventional phone and TV services here.

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