FCC Tariff Changes Mean No More Free Conference Calls

kgeiger writes "The FCC is changing the call termination tariffs that subsidized rural wireline service and coincidentally free conference calls. Free conference call services had located their dial-in centers in rural areas to scoop up FCC tariffs from its Universal Service Fund. USF monies will go to broadband deployment instead. Be prepared to put more nickels in the box." On the other hand, maybe ad-driven Internet services (whether free or "freemium") will step in to the free-conference gap with some good-enough options, as they have for many other services, like email and faxing.

Ham Spam Egg Sausage Spam

[alphatel]

With the amount of email I get from free internet conference call providers, I am sure they will have no problem telling me about it for months.

Broadband deployment.

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean, the funds will go to the same bullshit fund that subsidized telcos to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars to expand high-speed infrastructure and reach, which they then pocketed and did nothing with? Fuck you.

Re:Broadband deployment.

[MightyYar]

Corporations are an extension of government. They get their charter from the government and by definition they are regulated by the government. One cannot be "anti government" and "pro corporate", though one can certainly be "anti corporate" and "pro government".

Re:Broadband deployment.

[Kalriath]

When governments start demanding that all interaction with them be online, it suddenly becomes a necessity that all citizens have internet.