NTIA Dir. Michael Gallagher said he was ‘optimistic’ that Congres...

would be used to attach the spectrum relocation bill. “There are a number of vehicles being examined” by Congress, he said: “I'm optimistic because this is one [bill] that enjoys very broad support, typically the type of thing that is resolved in the close of Congress as opposed to things that are clearly not right or more contentious.” During the speech, he said NTIA and the Administration generally support handling VoIP with a light regulatory touch “to make sure we're not hitting [a new] technology with 100 years of legacy regulation.” However, he said, IP-based providers “must shoulder responsibility” for some social policies such as 911 calling and law enforcement access. “It’s the expectation of the American people that when they dial 911 they want the call answered and [the person on the other end] to know where they are,” Gallagher said. VoIP might end up providing better 911 services, for example by transmitting additional information such the fact that the caller is a diabetic, Gallagher said. On providing access to law enforcement, Gallagher said it’s “the right policy to have in the Internet protocol space.” He said the Administration would work with industry “to make sure we do the right thing [but] absolutely something must be done.”