CONCERNS ARISE AS INTERNET CALLERS PICK OWN AREA CODES

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: philipp schmidt <philipp () bridges org>
Date: July 12, 2004 6:47:51 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: onno () indo net id
Subject: Re: [IP] CONCERNS ARISE AS INTERNET CALLERS PICK OWN AREA CODES

Dave:

Indonesia has one of the most successful examples of  
community-organised VoIP networks in the world and the people managing  
it have made some interesting decisions with regard to area codes.  
After an initial period of area-code-anarchy, the main organisers (most  
of them community-based volunteers/"geeks"/hackers) agreed to use a  
reserved area code of the PSTN. The goal was to stay compatible with  
the existing numbering - so that the two systems could more easily be  
merged at some point. I suspect that was done partly, because VoIP was  
illegal in Indonesia at the time and avoiding conflict/confrontation  
was important. I am not sure if the regulatory environment has changed  
by now.

This is meant as a snapshot from the other side of the world rather  
than a solution to the US situation. It does underline however that  
countries with seemingly little in common are increasingly finding  
themselves dealing with similar technology and policy issues.

I copied, Onno one of the people involved, in case he wants to add to  
this.

Best regards,

Philipp

On 9 Jul 2004, at 1:09, David Farber wrote:

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> Date: July 8, 2004 11:19:10 AM EDT
> To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] CONCERNS ARISE AS INTERNET CALLERS PICK OWN  
> AREA CODES
> Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com
>
> CONCERNS ARISE AS INTERNET CALLERS PICK OWN AREA CODES
>
> Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is raising worrisome questions for
> law-enforcement officials, regulators and emergency agencies in part
> because it may accelerate the end of location-based phone numbers as we
> know them. The process of freeing phone numbers from fixed locations
> started with the spread of cellphones over the past decade. With  
> Internet
> phone service, callers from anywhere in the U.S. or around the world  
> can
> adopt nearly any U.S. area code they like, a prospect that has already
> created a run on desirable area codes such as Manhattan's 212 and  
> Beverly
> Hills's 310. Even international callers could obtain US exchanges for
> savings in long distance bills and allowing offshore companies to fake
> offices and legitimacy with a U.S. area code. But law enforcement  
> officials
> can't tap into VoIP calls due to both technological limitations and
> regulatory uncertainty and VoIP systems are not connected to 911  
> emergency
> services.
>
> [SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Rhoads at
> christopher.rhoads () wsj com]
> <http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB108923965170657887,00.html? 
> mod=todays_us_marketplace>
>
>
> Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net>
> Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>
>
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--
Philipp Schmidt
Programme Manager, bridges.org
PO Box 715, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
philipp () bridges org, +27(0)21 465 9313



--
Philipp Schmidt
Programme Manager, bridges.org
PO Box 715, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
philipp () bridges org, +27(0)21 465 9313

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