Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2004
81 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the possible effects of developments in voice over Internet protocol telephony on communications here; his plans to facilitate these developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
View answerVoice over Internet protocol allows voice messages to be sent along telecommunications networks in the same way that data is sent. This protocol allows voice messages to be transmitted over dedicated data networks such as the Internet. Internationally, market-driven voice over Internet protocol services are widely available in Asia, particularly in the Japanese market, and in the United States. Nationally, operators are rolling out this technology in the form of Internet connectivity and voice over Internet services are available to those who buy the appropriate hardware and software for their PCs.
In the longer term the deployment of voice over the Internet services offers exciting new opportunities for consumers as well as challenges for existing market operators. The European Commission will be shortly issuing a consultation paper on the business and regulatory issues arising in the roll-out of these services. This will help shape the regulatory framework for these services for the future. My Department has already carried out a number of telecommunications technology trials to pilot and demonstrate the feasibility of new technologies such as voice over Internet, and is continually monitoring developments in new and emerging technologies.
