Vonage Claims VoIP Blocked by Rivals

Vonage has filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission asking the US government to investigate allegations that competitors are deliberately blocking the use of its voice over IP services. FCC chairmen Michael Powell told reporters that the agency was "on the case" and taking the complaint "pretty seriously."

The unnamed competitors are accused of blocking Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) addresses that Vonage relies on to operate. IP telephony, better known as VoIP, has economized both local and long distance calling with cut-rate prices. While smaller Internet firms like Vonage hold a large share of the market, major companies such as AT&T, SBC and Comcast have recently launched VoIP offerings.