VoIP and E-911: The FCC steps in

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: STEVE TAYLOR AND LARRY HETTICK ON
CONVERGENCE
09/07/05
Today's focus: VoIP and E-911: The FCC steps in

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Questions and answers about E-911 from Jim Cavanagh
* Links related to Convergence
* Featured reader resource
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Today's focus: VoIP and E-911: The FCC steps in

By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick

Continuing our conversation from the last newsletter, we're
featuring some comments from our colleague, Jim Cavanagh, one of
the leading experts on the issue of E-911.

In this newsletter, Jim addresses some of the recent FCC actions
in this regard. He told us:

"My wife stared in disbelief as I explained the details. She was
receiving a constant stream of e-mail, allegedly from our VoIP
provider, Vonage, with the subject line 'Important Vonage 911
Dialing - Action Required' and claiming if we didn't 'click
here' our phone service would be terminated.

'Why do we have to "click here" ?'

To verify that we understand the 911 dialing we have with Vonage
is different than with BellSouth.

'How different?'

BellSouth's phones are powered from BellSouth's central office:
no power, they still work. Vonage's system is powered from our
home: no power, no phone service, including 911. Also, when
dialing 911 via Vonage our local Public Safety Answering Point
(PSAP) doesn't know our callback phone number or location, so we
have to tell them and, if we carry our telephone adapter with us
to Salt Lake City and dial 911, the emergency call still goes to
the Marietta, Ga., PSAP.

'Didn't we do this when we signed up?'

Yes, but Vonage is being required to re-notify all customers and
to get a positive acknowledgement that we understand these
issues and will explain them to anyone using our phone, such as
babysitters and visiting relatives.

'And who is requiring this?'

The Federal Communications Commission. I explained that the FCC
was moved to action by two instances, one in Florida and one in
Texas, where people almost died because of the differences
between the traditional and VoIP ways of getting 911 service.

'Will it always be this way, where our new system does less and
is more difficult to use than the older system?'

No, I explained, there are solutions being worked on right now
by the major players in the VoIP industry, but there would be
some interim period where we would have to put up with a lower
level of service.

It might have been only then that she realized why she still
sees a BellSouth bill in our mail each month: the traditional,
hard-wired telephone safety net. It won't be there forever,
probably, but it will be until our new services at least match
our plain ol' telephone service in reliability, quality and ease
of use. And if we don't 'click here'? Our outbound VoIP phone
service will be discontinued until we do."

***

We'll follow up Jim's remarks with a comment that we've noticed
that the E-911 issue now at least has our collective attention.
In fact, in the ads in Steve's hometown for Time Warner's phone
service, full E-911 capability is included in print ads as a
"feature."

In the next newsletter, we'll feature some comments from Larry
from his recent visit to VoiceCon, and we'll have some more
comments from Jim in subsequent newsletters. In the meantime,
you can reach Jim at <mailto:jpc@consultant-registry.com>

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Microsoft warms up voice software plans
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence6519>

2. Cisco Catalyst 4948-10GE aces performance tests
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence6520>

3. Supermarket chain freezes Internet access
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence6521>

4. 2005 salary survey
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence3861>

5. Katrina tests net service providers
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlconvergence6522>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick

Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates
and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed
information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter,
connect to Webtorials <http://www.webtorials.com/>, the premier
site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and
market research. Taylor can be reached at
<mailto:taylor@webtorials.com>

Larry Hettick is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of
experience in voice and data. He is Vice President for Telecom
Services and Infrastructure at Current Analysis, the leading
competitive response solutions company. He can be reached at
<mailto:lhettick@currentanalysis.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Network World Executive Guide: Application Drivers: Pedal to the
Metal

This Network World Executive Guide examines the move toward
tighter security, optimized performance and ubiquitous Web
services. Learn about new approaches to securing today's
applications. See what users are doing in their quest for top
performance. And, take a detailed look at present and future
implications of Web services and service-oriented architectures.

http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112778
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

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Fire walling or stonewalling? Addressing today's security
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See how network intrusion prevention systems can protect you
from the next Internet threat.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112508
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FEATURED READER RESOURCE

GARTNER'S SECURITY HYPE-O-METER

What is hype and has it influenced your network security
efforts? At a recent Gartner security summit, analysts described
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risks that have been overblown and shouldn't be scaring everyone
as much as they seem to be. For more, click here:

<http://www.networkworld.com/weblogs/security/009180.html>
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