Why the net neutrality debate also matters for VoIP

[Commentary] With the end of Federal Communications Commission enforcement of open Internet rules, a few select companies will very quickly be making major decisions on how fast most users will be able to access content across the web.

Video streaming, as we know, takes up a plurality of bandwidth usage (and will only increase in popularity). However, the danger isn’t just limited to video. The major ISPs in the United States -- Comcast and AT&T among others -- often also provide voice services that directly compete with many of the services provided by VoIP.

What’s more, the innovative possibilities of VoIP and VoIP-related technologies, like WebRTC, will also be throttled by the lack of open Internet standards. New VoIP technologies are often not just limited to voice; they incorporate video capabilities as well. VoIP services require simultaneous high quality upload and download streams, instead of just download streams as with a service like Netflix. As such, VoIP shares many of the same concerns as video streaming, and the dangers for VoIP services may be even greater.

[Aylarov is the CEO of Zingaya, which enables online calls from web pages]