Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

The U.S. Senate has approved legislation extending a moratorium on state Internet access taxes for seven years.

With only days left before the Internet tax ban was set to expire, the Senate reached a compromise between lawmakers who proposed a shorter extension and those who insisted it should be made permanent.

"By keeping the Internet tax-free and affordable, Congress can encourage Internet use for distance learning, telemedicine, commerce and other important services," Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, of Alaska, said in a statement on Thursday night.

The vote came about two weeks after the House of Representatives approved a four-year extension of the Internet tax ban.

The two chambers must work out their differences on the bill before a final version can be approved and signed by President George W. Bush.