FCC Requires Interconnected VoIP Providers to Provide E911

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dustin Goodwin <nospam-cybert () VOIPEXPERTS COM>
Date: May 19, 2005 3:05:30 PM EDT
To: CYBERTELECOM-L () LISTSERV AOL COM
Subject: Re: FCC Requires Interconnected VoIP Providers to Provide E911
Reply-To: Telecom Regulation & the Internet <CYBERTELECOM- 
L () LISTSERV AOL COM>


So does this apply to nomadic services like Skype?

- Dustin -

Robert Cannon wrote:


> Cybertelecom :: VoIP :: 911
> www.cybertelecom.org/voip/911.htm
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                  NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
> May 19, 2005                                            Mark Wigfield,
> 202-418-0253
>                                                        Email:  
> mark.wigfield () fcc gov
>
> Commission Requires Interconnected VoIP Providers to
> Provide Enhanced 911 Service
> Order Ensures VoIP Customers Have Access to Emergency
> Services
>
> Washington, D.C. – The Federal Communications
> Commission today took steps to protect consumers by
> requiring that certain providers of voice over
> Internet protocol (VoIP) phone service supply enhanced
> 911 (E911) emergency calling capabilities to their
> customers as a mandatory feature of the service.
> The IP-enabled services marketplace is the latest new
> frontier of our nation’s communications landscape, and
> the Commission is committed to allowing IP-enabled
> services to evolve without undue regulation.  But E911
> service is critical to our nation’s ability to respond
> to a host of crises.  The Commission hopes to minimize
> the likelihood of situations like recent incidents in
> which users of interconnected VoIP dialed 911 but were
> not able to reach emergency operators.  Today’s Order
> represents a balanced approach that takes into
> consideration the expectations of consumers, the need
> to strengthen Americans’ ability to access public
> safety in times of crisis, and the needs of entities
> offering these innovative services.
>
> The Order places obligations on interconnected VoIP
> service providers that are similar to traditional
> telephone providers in that they enable customers to
> receive calls from and terminate calls to the public
> switched telephone network (PSTN).  It does not place
> obligations on other IP-based service providers, such
> as those that provide instant messaging or Internet
> gaming services, because although these services may
> contain a voice component, customers of these services
> cannot receive calls from and place calls to the PSTN.
> The Order adopted today reaches the following
> conclusions:
>
> •       Interconnected VoIP providers must deliver all 911
> calls to the customer’s local emergency operator.
> This must be a standard, rather than optional, feature
> of the service.
> •       Interconnected VoIP providers must provide emergency
> operators with the call back number and location
> information of their customers (i.e., E911) where the
> emergency operator is capable of receiving it.
> Although the customer must provide the location
> information, the VoIP provider must provide the
> customer a means of updating this information, whether
> he or she is at home or away from home.
> •       By the effective date, interconnected VoIP providers
> must inform their customers, both new and existing, of
> the E911 capabilities and limitations of their
> service.
> •       The incumbent LECs are required to provide access to
> their E911 networks to any requesting
> telecommunications carrier.  They must continue to
> provide access to trunks, selective routers, and E911
> databases to competing carriers.  The Commission will
> closely monitor this obligation.
> Interconnected VoIP providers must comply with these
> requirements, and submit to the Commission a letter
> detailing such compliance, no later than 120 days
> after the effective date of the Order.
> Finally, the Commission stated its intention to adopt,
> in a future order, an advanced E911 solution that
> includes a method for determining the customer’s
> location without the customer having to self report
> this information.
> Action by the Commission May 19, 2005, by First Report
> and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC
> 05-116). Chairman Martin, Commissioners Abernathy,
> Copps, and Adelstein, Chairman Martin, Commissioners
> Abernathy, Copps, and Adelstein issuing separate
> statements.
> WC Docket Nos. 04-36, 05-196
> Wireline Competition Bureau Staff Contact:  Christi
> Shewman, (202) 418-1686.
>
> -FCC-
>
> News about the Federal Communications Commission can
> also be found on the Commission’s web site
> www.fcc.gov.
>
> =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=
> Cybertelecom :: An educational non profit dedicated to raising  
> awareness of and participation in Federal Internet Policy.
>  www.cybertelecom.org     cannon () cybertelecom org



-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as lists-ip () insecure org
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/