Powell makes final VoIP call

Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell did some legacy building here Tuesday during a "swan song" in which he bid adieu to the Internet telephone industry that was fostered by his hands-off regulatory style.
During his tenure, Powell consistently advocated a free-market approach to VoIP specifically and to broadband in general, which often put him at odds with the two Democratic commissioners and sometimes Kevin Martin, a fellow Republican. Powell argued for greater competition between cable and DSL rather than continuing predecessor William Kennard's approach of forcing telephone companies to accommodate rivals on their networks by signing money-losing deals.