] In essence, the Federal Communications Commission gave
] SBC permission to get telephone numbers directly from
] their official source--a privately run, quasi-government
] agency known as the North American Numbering Plan
] Administration. It's a much cheaper alternative.
]
] Before the FCC's action, only those Net phone providers
] certified by states could approach the agency directly.
] The SBC division selling Net phone services argued that
] it wasn't fair; the calls actually use the Internet and
] are therefore off-limits to any regulation. Also,
] requiring certification multiplies the already onerous
] amount of expensive state and federal telephone
] regulation.

FCC lets SBC dial direct to get Net phone numbers | CNET News.com