<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 2/1/07, <b class="gmail_sendername">Michael Young</b> <<a href="mailto:myoung@netlogic.net">myoung@netlogic.net</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Actually, I think you missed the main point: "The Clinton-Snowe-Nelson<br>bill will allow VoIP companies to patch into the 911 networks operated<br>by the traditional phone companies."<br><br>According to the VON Coalition, the legislation will give VoIP companies
<br>direct access to E911 networks within 120 days, and provides equivalent<br>liability protection for VoIP providers as other phone services have.<br><br>That, my friends, is a big deal.</blockquote><div><br><br>Note this is a 2005 thing, and covers the aspects you mentioned. It may be that its the same bill, I dont have time to read all the links, but here is what I found in a few seconds. Now that its 2007, the primaries are starting it comes out about effectively the same thing.
<br><br>If however you are to connect ot the PSAPs directly and not over VoIP
does that mean physical circuits? Most telcos have to have a T1 or so
just for e911 that goes to the PSAP which can be a substantial cost for
smaller VoIP providers that dont have the ability to have physical
infrastructure (ie national coverage) but want to provide national
service. If you have the 'same rules' as those providers you have to have that physical interconnection, although the current regime of leasing someone elses network is probably allowed. There is however a voIP based spec, I dont know the status of
that, or how long its going to take to actually implement.<br><br>If these are the same it doesnt make VoIP companies equal to all telcos only CMRS providers (mobile phone companies) so in instances like California (where 12% of the pouplation is) you may end up routing to the highway patrol, who may be totally unable to assist you in any reasonable amount of time because you are in a very rural area and really should have talked to the sheriff. Having lived in a rural area in california where it can take 20 minutes for the helicopter to arrive in an emergency (the amublance takes 10-15 minutes longer and usually follows) the delay added by going to CHP first may not be the godsend its proclaimed.
<br><br>Many times when calling to report a fire on the side of the road (ya know where all those fires in california burn thousands of acres and destroy millions of dollars worth or property ...) its taken 15 minutes to get hold of CHP on a cell phone. Those fires happen a lot and the fire departments in many rural areas in CA are volunteer anyway, so no one is at the firestation.
<br><br><br><br><a href="http://www.nena.org/VoIP_IP/">http://www.nena.org/VoIP_IP/</a> (nena is the national '911' organization)<br><br><span class="349194317-18112005"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="524150716-30092005"><font color="#ff0000" face="Arial" size="2"><strong>
Senate Commerce Committee Approves the IP-Enabled
Voice Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005</strong></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>
<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">
On Wednesday, November 2, the Senate Commerce
Committee approved S 1063, the "IP-Enabled Voice
Communications and Public Safety Act of 2005" which
now awaits action by the full Senate. Following the
lead of the recent FCC Order, the legislation
requires VoIP providers to offer E9-1-1 to their
customers.
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nena.org/govtaffairs/s1063rs.pdf">Click <u>here</u>
</a>for a copy of the bill. Key
provisions include the following:<br>
</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Provides states
with the authority to enforce the FCC's rules in
this area and collect fees from VoIP providers</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Provides
liability protection for PSAPs, VoIP providers and
users of VoIP services</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Ensures that
VoIP providers have access to E9-1-1 components and
are treated in the same manner as wireless providers
in seeking access to 9-1-1 components</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Requires
National 9-1-1 Implementation and Coordination
Office to submit a plan to Congress on the migration
towards an IP-Enabled 9-1-1 system</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Provides
explicit authority to FCC to set regulations
concerning E9-1-1 for IP-enabled services </font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Does not allow
service cut-off to existing customers through
12/31/2005 as long as they have notified and
received acknowledgement from those customers on
service limitation, but requires VoIP providers to
report on their progress to provide E9-1-1 to these
customers </font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Allows FCC to
grant waivers to VoIP providers who have provided
notice and received acknowledgement from customers
and who can demonstrate that it is not "technically
or operationally feasible" to comply with FCC
requirements in the given time frame. Granting of
the waiver is not mandatory and is at the discretion
of the FCC</font></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<font face="Arial">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">
<font size="2">
</font></span></span><font size="2">Prevents VoIP
Providers, after 12/31/2005, from offering service
to customers in areas where such providers cannot
offer 9-1-1 or E9-1-1<font color="#0000ff"> <br></font></font></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 42pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2"><font color="#0000ff">
<br></font></font></font></p></span></div></div><br>-- <br>Trixter <a href="http://www.0xdecafbad.com">http://www.0xdecafbad.com</a> Bret McDanel<br>Belfast +44 28 9099 6461 US +1 516 687 5200<br><a href="http://www.trxtel.com">
http://www.trxtel.com</a> the VoIP provider that pays you!