<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Hi All, An interesting article implicating ‘openness
of the Internet’. Would be a good issue to bring up on day 2 main sessions
at the IGF, Hyderabad, which includes references to openness. Parminder <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>(CTIA is the international
association for wireless telecomms industry...)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>----------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Skype blasts CTIA<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><a
href="http://www.telecomasia.net/article.php?type=article&id_article=10733">http://www.telecomasia.net/article.php?type=article&id_article=10733</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Oct 10, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>By Sue Marek/FierceWireless<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>telecomasia.net<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>In a letter to the FCC,
Skype's Senior Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs Chris Libertelli
blasted the CTIA and Sprint Nextel for telling the FCC that the "entire
Internet is open", when in fact, even the most-recently announced handsets
still block the Skype application, proving that the claim of openness is false.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Libertelli also said that
the CTIA's claim of openness in the wireless industry directly contradicts that
association's current litigation with the FCC in which it wants the commission
to "overturn the very openness rule they now claim to embrace,"
Libertelli writes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>If the wireless industry is
serious about openness, Libertelli says, CTIA would immediately withdraw that
litigation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Open networks is a major
theme in the industry right now and was a hot topic at the CTIA IT and
Entertainment conference in San Francisco last month. Last April, the FCC
denied Skype's petition to apply the Carterphone rules to the cellular phone
industry.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>The Carterphone rules were
enacted in the 1960s to force the POTS industry to allow devices other than
those provided by the old AT&T to connect to the network.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style='mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none;border:none;padding:0in'><font
size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New"'>Full letter posted below.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New"'>(<a
href="http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/skype-letter-fcc-chairman-martin">http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/skype-letter-fcc-chairman-martin</a>
) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>October
8, 2008<br>
Electronic Filing<br>
Chairman Kevin J. Martin<br>
Federal Communications Commission<br>
445 12th Street, SW<br>
12th Street Lobby, TW-A325<br>
Washington, D.C. 20554<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Re: Ex
Parte Presentation; RM-11361<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dear
Chairman Martin:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
Skype Communications S.A.R.L. ("Skype") responds briefly to CTIA's
letter of<br>
September 24th and Sprint Nextel's letter of September 26th, both of which take
issue<br>
with Skype's earlier letter to you regarding the lack of openness of wireless
networks.<br>
CTIA and Sprint go to great lengths to rebut Skype's characterization of
remarks made<br>
at a CTIA conference earlier this month, which Skype viewed as indicative of a
hesitant,<br>
closed network mentality among wireless operators.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Rather
than prolong an empty debate about whose characterization of remarks at the
conference is correct, let me point out that Skype's application is forbidden,
blocked and otherwise interfered with by the largest CTIA members.1 When CTIA
members claim that "the entire Internet is open," the intended implication
is that the entire Internet is open, including to multi-modal Internet
communications applications like Skype. The truth of the matter, however, is
that, despite their representations to thecontrary, applications are blocked
even on the most recently-announced advancedhandsets.2 The proof of Skype's
argument is in the conduct of CTIA members, no matter what speeches are made at
conferences. If Skype is blocked, the network is not<br>
open.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
I also would like to take this opportunity to remind you that CTIA is currently<br>
suing the Commission to overturn the very openness rule they now claim to
embrace.<br>
If the wireless industry is serious about openness, CTIA would immediately
withdraw<br>
that litigation.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
CTIA attempts to sidestep the fact that its members' networks are not open by<br>
arguing that Skype itself is closed and, apparently, therefore cannot advocate
consumer<br>
empowerment principles and network openness. To make this point, they cite a
blog<br>
post by Mr. Michael Robertson, CEO of Gizmo Project, a VOIP application.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
Fundamentally, Mr. Robertson is wrong. Mr. Robertson confuses open networks
with<br>
open platforms. Skype is an open platform. Anyone, anywhere on the planet can<br>
download Skype for free, and he or she will be able to use Skype. Skype's
software is<br>
open to any application developer through our public Application Programming<br>
Interface (‘API') program. Over 10,000 developers have taken advantage of
this API<br>
and are part of Skype's developer program. In fact there are many applications
that use<br>
Skype's APIs to send calls to/from Skype users and SIP endpoints, including
VoSky,<br>
Fring, etc. Skype also recently collaborated with Digium/Asterisk, which will
now<br>
bring Skype into "soft PBXs" for millions of users and allow many
forms of applications<br>
and services to connect to Skype seamlessly.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
Mr. Robertson is also wrong on the law. He rehashes the incumbent wireless<br>
operators' various arguments against network neutrality and confuses to whom
the<br>
Internet Policy Statement applies. Openness rules are properly targeted at network<br>
operators because of the limited intermodal choices available to US consumers
in a<br>
wireless market dominated by the top three operators. Conversely, there is
nearly<br>
limitless choice in Internet applications, with fierce competition and few or
no barriers<br>
to entry. Quite properly, therefore, the Internet Policy Statement applies to
networks and<br>
not to applications. Its aim is to assure an open Internet so that consumers
can choose<br>
from the limitless number of applications available to Internet users, absent<br>
discrimination by network operators. To apply it to Internet applications would
flipt<br>
the Internet Policy statement on its head. What the network operators are doing
is very<br>
different. They restrict consumer choice by blocking Skype and other applications
to<br>
commenting on the iPhone's closed operating system, Steve Wozniak, co-founder
of Apple<br>
Computer, said "Consumers aren't getting all they want when companies are
very proprietary<br>
and lock their products down...I would like to write some more powerful apps
than what you're<br>
allowed."/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms<br>
/3145691/Steve-Wozniak-interview-iconic-co-founder-on-the-iPod-iPhone-and-future-for-<br>
Apple.html.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Oct 8,
2008 3 which consumers would like to have access. To apply the Internet Policy
Statement to<br>
Internet applications would flip the Policy Statement on its head.<br>
We greatly appreciate CTIA's invitation to attend the April show in Las Vegas.
If<br>
CTIA members would like to prove their openness once and for all, Skype's top<br>
executives will be available to attend the conference. When a Skype user can
legally call<br>
the Chairman of the FCC on the mobile broadband networks of each of the top
three<br>
wireless networks, we will know that their conduct is consistent with the
consumer<br>
empowerment principles of the Internet Policy Statement.<br>
We look forward to working with the Commission and CTIA members to ensure<br>
that the whole Internet - including multimodal applications such as Skype - is
available<br>
to consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
Respectfully submitted,<br>
________________________<br>
Christopher Libertelli<br>
Senior Director, Government and<br>
Regulatory Affairs<br>
SKYPE COMMUNICATIONS S.A.R.L.<br>
6e etage, 22/24 boulevard Royal,<br>
Luxembourg, L-2449 LUXEMBOURG<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>