Jeff Pulver

has emerged as one of the most vocal supporters of Net telephony, through his Voice on the Net organization and conferences. Pulver says we are at a critical point in the development of Net telephony, as it turns from a hobbyist's pastime to a $2 billion business. Ultimately, he believes the industry will have to be regulated. But he's asking for more time. If the FCC recommends new regulations and new fees on this nascent industry, it could kill it before it gets off the ground.

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Job
President of Pulver.com, an Internet and Net telephony consulting firm, chairman of the Voice on the Net (VON) Internet telephony coalition. Author of Internet Telephone Toolkit.

Education
BBA in Accounting, Hofstra University, 1984

Live
Great Neck, N.Y.

Family
Married, with twins First Computer
"In 1975, I used to use an online service through a Deckwriter terminal. A couple years later, I had a Data General Microeclipse in my house."

First Time On The Internet
"If e-mail counts, I’ve been playing with the Internet for 12 years. If playing on the Web is how you define the first time, it was late 1992, early 1993."

Most Pessimistic Statement About The Web
"The Internet is predictably unpredictable. The quality of service stinks and no guarantees that it's going to get any better. And just because you have a website doesn’t mean that anyone at this moment can see it."

Most Optimistic Statement About The Web
"It’s technology that’s going to change the way we work and live, and it’s already starting to."