Paketvermittelte Telefonie

From the angle of competition policy, Voice over IP looks like a panacea. It not only brings better service, but it also increases competitive pressure on former telecommunications monopolists. This book points to the largely overlooked downside. In a pure world of Internet telephony, there would be no charge for individual calls. Direct contracts between users and Internet Service Providers or the providers of voice communication services would be welfare decreasing. Giving Voice over IP providers classic telephone numbers would enhance systems competition with switched telephony. But this would make it difficult for clients to swap providers. The anti-competitive caller pays principle would extend to IP telephony.