AUSTIN, Texas -- PointOne announced that Staci L. Pies, PointOne vice president, Governmental and Regulatory Affairs, was recently elected president of the VON Coalition (www.von.org) for a one year term.

The Voice on the Net or VON Coalition consists of leading VoIP companies on the cutting edge of developing and delivering voice innovations over the Internet. The coalition believes that Americans are fundamentally better off with a generally hands off regulatory approach to Internet and Internet based services like VoIP. The VON Coalition has consistently advocated that federal and state regulators maintain current policies of refraining from extending legacy regulations to Internet services, including VoIP.

Pies has over 10 years of extensive experience in governmental, policy and regulatory affairs both within federal government and industry. Prior to joining PointOne, she served as director, Federal Regulatory Affairs at Level 3 Communications, where she provided policy counsel to assist the company in launching it VoIP products. Earlier, she was with the Federal Communications Commission's Common Carrier Bureau as deputy chief of the Network Services Division and senior attorney in the Policy Division, where she was pivotal in proceedings promoting deployment of advanced information services.

Welcoming the new board of directors of the VON Coalition, Pies said, "These leaders recognize that with the right policy framework, emerging Internet-based voice communications can help increase demand for broadband, jump-start the next wave of the information revolution, spark a powerful new cycle of job creation and economic growth, and unleash a set of extraordinary new consumer benefits."

PointOne Telecommunications