Vonage and Verizon: Crisis in Communications (infrastructure)

In the beginning, there was AT&T. And they were granted a govt. approved monopoly because laying the infrastructure for a national network for telephony was extremely expensive. They retained their basic monopoly until late into the 20th century. What does this have to do with Vonage and Verizon? Despite the fact that Vonage may have "infringed" on patent rights, I think that it's important to recognize that the foundation of Vonage's service depends upon the use of the technologies that Verizon has developed and Vonage (may) be using.

I had a discussion with my father about the morality or the legality about Vonage's use of their land lines to conduct business. That may be a separate matter, but it may be just as inextricably connected with the patent offense as any telecommunication issue at law. Becaaause, what we have is an international network of in-ground wired, wireless, satellite and cross-ocean cables that are expensive to lay and maintain. YES, this is certainly the truth. And it is indispensable.

However, should we expect Vonage to begin laying its own ground wire, or its own fiber optics?? That is an unreasonable, and really inefficient expectation. The laying of infrastructure should be treated as a public utility .. more so! It should be a subsidized by federal govt.! The necessity of that infrastructure has been explicated by the UN. The importance of a global communication network is a social good that cannot be overstated. The creation of cheap and competetive services that can utilize the infrastructure already laid should be the aim of legislation and arbitration. This is a concert objective.

Vonage, or whoever, should be allowed to use these networks, and not have to pay much of a service fee for using patents, or using networks already laid. Like highways, like waterways, the telecommunication networks should be a subsidized property; their obvious necessity doesn't require further explanation. The law, in this respect, needs to understand the economic and social ramifications of allowing Vonage to use these networks and the technology to create competetive networks.