Federal regulators last week took the first step on a journey that could lead to the end of the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network and the migration of most voice traffic to IP-based networks.

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While there are sure to be twists along the way, including detours being pondered by federal law enforcement, the destination is a place with more innovative communications services at lower costs.

In launching an examination of IP-enabled communications, the Federal Communications Commission outlined ways to classify the technology. Currently, the VOIP (voice-over-IP) umbrella includes computer-to-computer calls that travel over the public Internet, such as those made through Pulver.com Inc.'s Free World Dialup; calls between computers and phones, such as those delivered by Vonage Inc.; and more traditional phone-to-phone calls that travel over dedicated networks upgraded for IP transmissions.

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