Free World Dialup

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FWD (formerly known as Free World Dialup) is a non-commercial Voice over IP network company owned by Pulver.com, Inc. and founded in 1995 by Jeff Pulver, Brandon Lucas, and Izak Jenie.

The service allows users to make free telephone calls to other FWD users around the world. Through limited connections to the Public Switched Telephone Network users can receive direct-dialed calls from landline users, as well as place calls to toll-free numbers in the United States and other countries.

Pursuant to a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on February 12, 2004, the Wireline Competition Bureau considers FWD to be an information service rather than a telecommunications service. This ruling follows a petition by Pulver.com on February 5, 2003 seeking a declaration of this nature. A similar petition made by AT&T remains under consideration.

On September 27, 2005, the company changed its name from Free World Dialup to FWD. A servicemark for the new name was granted on April 20, 2004. According to the registration record, the servicemark is not an acronym: the letters stand for nothing at all. The company later removed all references to "Free World Dialup" from their website, although ironically the www.freeworlddialup.com website still resolves.

FWD is connected to other VoIP networks by IPeerX.

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"Despite attempts to characterize this Order as limited to the specific facts of Pulver.com's FWD, I am concerned that the decision speaks much more expansively. By deciding the statutory classification of Pulver.com's service as an interstate information service, the Order raises a host of questions about the continuing relevance of those most fundamental telecommunications policy objectives that Congress has entrusted to this Commission." — FCC Commissioner Michael Copps

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