IP Democracy: Shaw Levies QoS Charge for Third-Party VoIP

ZDNet’s Russell Shaw has this amazing item that will likely send chills throughout the VoIP and online content community. It seems that Canadian cable operator Shaw is asking customers to pay a $10 surcharge if they want to receive high quality VoIP service from an unaffiliated provider. This QoS (quality of service) fee doesn’t apply, of course, to Shaw’s own VoIP service.

Shaw’s web site explains the surcharge this way:

Shaw is now able to offer its High Speed Internet customers the opportunity to improve the quality of Internet telephony services offered by third party providers. For an additional $10 per month Shaw will provide a quality of service (QoS) feature that will enhance these services when used over the Shaw High Speed Internet network. Without this service customers may encounter quality of service issues with their voice over Internet service.

Shaw is quick to point out that this fee is unnecessary for Shaw voice customers.

Quality of service issues do not apply to Shaw Digital Phone because Shaw Digital Phone operates on its own separate, managed network. Voice traffic distributed along this network is never shared with public Internet networks, so you can be confident Shaw Digital Phone will deliver the service reliability and performance you expect. As an added safeguard, Shaw Digital Phone includes its own QoS Enhancement feature.

Vonage Canada is up in arms over this fee, which hikes the cost of its service to consumers. The VoIP provider has asked the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to investigate the matter.

Among the questions raised by Vonage is what, exactly, is Shaw doing to adjust customers’ service so that its service is improved and what evidence does Shaw documenting any improvements and why levy a recurring charge when it seems that only a one-time adjustment is required?

Posted by Cynthia Brumfield on March 7, 2006 10:02 AM to IP Democracy