1. Introduction

VoIP is hot, hot, hot, which cynics would say means that it should fade from view any day now. But since we Tom's folks tend to be data-driven, I thought I'd hop on up to Boston to check things out at Jeff Pulver's Fall VON 2004 show.

Jeff Pulver is a man of many talents - and companies - and you might say he's a one-man VoIP whirlwind. Among the companies he's founded are the Free World Dialup (FWD) free VoIP service, paid VoIP service LibreTel, and VoIP product retailer pulverinnovations. Pulver is also a crusader in the public policy aspects of VoIP, petitioning the FCC and getting a ruling that is now referred to as "the Pulver decision", which declared that computer-to-computer VoIP service is not a telecommunications service.

And, oh yeah, he's also the cofounder of 800 pound consumer VoIP gorilla, Vonage and the guy behind CellSocket, which links up your cell phone so that you can keep burning your cell minutes from any home phone. Jeff is no stranger to self-promotion, so if you can start here if you want to know more about him.

The upbeat mode that prevailed at the show was helped along by FCC chairman Michael Powell's keynote on Tuesday. The speech garnered plenty of press from the snappy quotes just made for us media types to slurp up. But Powell's basic message - that any US government regulation of VoIP should be applied with a very light touch - was consistent with his previous pronouncements on this topic.

Powell's speech prompted applause at points from some in the audience, who believe that Powell's support will keep VoIP from being regulated as traditional telcos are. The VON Magazine article, however, has an interesting different take.