Free World Dialup
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| File:FWD logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jeff Pulver Brandon Lucas Izak Jenie |
FWD (originally Free World Dialup) is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network and business venture owned by Pulver.com, Inc. and founded in 1994 by Jeff Pulver, Brandon Lucas, and Izak Jenie.
The service provides voice communications between its subscribers worldwide, based on Internet standards. Limited inter-connections to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) provide users the ability to receive direct-dialed calls from PSTN-landline users, as well as place calls to toll-free numbers in the United States and other countries.
Pursuant to a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on February 12, 2004, the Wireline Competition Bureau considers FWD to be an information service rather than a telecommunications service[1]. This ruling follows a petition by Pulver.com on February 5, 2003 seeking a declaration of this nature[citation needed]. A similar petition by AT&T remains under consideration[citation needed].
On September 27, 2005, the company changed its name from Free World Dialup to FWD[2]. A servicemark for the new name was granted on April 20, 2004. According to the registration record, the servicemark is not an acronym: the letters stand for nothing at all. The company later removed all references to Free World Dialup from their website, although the domain name www.freeworlddialup.com still resolves to the site.
FWD is connected to other VoIP networks by IPeerX, a VoIP peering company.
Free World Dialup has closed open enrollment of new members to focus on HD content and services[3].
Annual charge
On August 8, 2008, the company announced they would charge a $30 (US) annual membership fee. [4]
FCC decision
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is quoted[citation needed] as stating the following upon the FCC decision to characterize FWD's service as an information service: "Despite attempts to characterize this Order as limited to the specific facts of Pulver.com's FWD, I am concerned that the decision speaks much more expansively. By deciding the statutory classification of Pulver.com's service as an interstate information service, the Order raises a host of questions about the continuing relevance of those most fundamental telecommunications policy objectives that Congress has entrusted to this Commission."
References
- ^ "FCC Rules on Pulver's Free World Dialup VOIP Service". Tech Law Journal. Retrieved November 13 2005.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ "Free World Dialup renamed to FWD". The Jeff Pulver Blog. Retrieved November 13 2005.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|dateformat=ignored (help) - ^ "Why SIP to SIP VoIP?". Free World Dialup. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
Free World Dialup closed open enrollment for SIP registration and membership in order to focus on High Definition (HD) VoIP content and services.
- ^ Pulver, Jeff (2008-08-08). "FWD moving to $30 annual membership fee". Retrieved 2008-08-08.
External links
- FWD, official site
- Pulver.com, official site