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TELECOM Digest     Fri, 29 Apr 2005 19:53:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 189

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    Telecom Update (Canada) #479, April 29, 2005 (John Riddell)
    MPSC Asks Michigan Legislature to Amend the Michigan (Jack Decker)
    Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox Takes Action Against Vonage (Decker)
    Verizon Signs Additional Programming Deals for FiOS TV (Monty Solomon)
    Report: TV Phone Outlook Rosy (Telecom dailyLead from USTA)
    AOL  Import/Export (CountFrederick)
    Dialogue Communications Abuse of Reverse Rate SMS (Gareth Morrissey)
    Re: VOIP: 911 - Vonage vs Time-Warner Roadrunner (Thor Lancelot Simon)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet.  All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote.  By using -any name or email address-
included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the
email.

               ===========================

Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without explicit written consent.  Chain letters,
viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome.

We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #479, April 29, 2005
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:09:18 -0400
From: John Riddell <jriddell@angustel.ca>


************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
************************************************************

published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 479: April 29, 2005

Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:

** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/
** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca
** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/
************************************************************

IN THIS ISSUE:

** Big Week at the CRTC
** Tariff Decisions to Be Fast-Tracked
** Telco Promotions Okayed, With Conditions
** Debate Begins on Local Service Deregulation
** CRTC Backs Off Floor Price Changes
** Government Amends Do-Not-Call Bill
** Telus-TWU War Escalates
** Telus Wants Quality Reports Revised
** Ottawa Opens New Spectrum
** CRTC Reduces RFP Value
** AT&T Names New Exec for Canada
** Shift Provides VoIP on SuperNet
** Rogers Launches Corporate 'Push' Email
** Entourage Quebec Techs Accept Contract
** Nortel to Buy U.S. Government Supplier
** Aliant Sales Edge Up
** Rogers Wireless Sales Soar

BIG WEEK AT THE CRTC: The Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission issued a flurry of important
decisions and notices this week.

TARIFF DECISIONS TO BE FAST-TRACKED: CRTC Circular 2005-6
announces procedures to reduce the time required to rule on
retail tariff filings by the major incumbent telcos. The
Commission says that within ten days of a filing it will
reject the application, or give it interim approval, or begin
a process aiming, in most cases, at a decision within 45
business days of the filing.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Circulars/2005/ct2005-6.htm

** The new procedures are similar to those proposed by Bell
   Canada last November (see Telecom Update #457) except that
   there is no provision for automatic approvals.

** The Commission has re-introduced the service standards for
   tariff applications it put in place three years ago but
   subsequently suspended. (See Telecom Update #346)

TELCO PROMOTIONS OKAYED, WITH CONDITIONS: CRTC Telecom
Decision 2005-25 lifts the 2003 moratorium on promotions for
incumbent telcos' local services. Promotional rates must
cover costs and must be available to all customers in a given
rate band, not just competitors' customers. A promotion can
last only six months, and must not lock customers in past
that period.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-25.htm

DEBATE BEGINS ON LOCAL SERVICE DEREGULATION: CRTC Telecom
Public Notice 2005-2 opens a proceeding to determine criteria
for deregulating the incumbent telcos' retail local services.
Various filings will take place between May and September,
followed by a public consultation on September 26-29. A
decision is expected in spring 2006. To comment, notify the
Commission by May 4.

** Aliant's April 2004 application for local service
   forbearance (see Telecom Update #428) will be dealt with
   in this proceeding.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pt2005-2.htm

CRTC BACKS OFF FLOOR PRICE CHANGES: CRTC Telecom Decision 2005-27
eliminates many of the changes to floor prices for incumbent telco
services that were initially proposed by the Commission in 2003 (see
Telecom Update #405). In particular, the rules are based on Phase II
costing, not retail rates.  The new rules are not retroactive and will
not affect existing customer contracts.

   ** Rates for standalone or bundled services must include the
   tariffed rates for any "essential/near-essential" services
   provided to competitors, and for any residential local
   services included in a bundle. The lowest term or volume
   rate must cover costs. Targeted pricing that would de-
   average rates within a given rate band is not permitted.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-27.htm

GOVERNMENT AMENDS DO-NOT-CALL BILL: The federal government has
introduced amendments to its bill to set up a national do-not-call
registry for telemarketers. The changes would exempt calls to
established customers and clients, and from charities where certain
conditions are met. They would also allow consumers to accept calls
from charities while blocking commercial telemarketing.


** The amendments would also require a review of the Do-Not-
   Call List after five years.

TELUS-TWU WAR ESCALATES: Both the Canada Industrial Relations
Board and the Federal Court of Appeal have refused to issue
orders blocking Telus from implementing "lockout" measures
against the Telecommunications Workers Union. The telco put
the measures into effect on Monday. (See Telecom Update #478)

** The TWU says it will charge Telus with violating
   collective bargaining laws and regulations, for emailing
   details of a proposed contract directly to employees. The
   union says the email is misleading because it omitted the
   "enormous concessions" employees would have to accept
   under Telus's offer.

** The union also issued a statement denying Telus's
   "outrageous allegation" that some company facilities
   have been sabotaged.

TELUS WANTS QUALITY REPORTS REVISED: As we reported in Telecom Update
#474, major telcos must this year give credits to subscribers for
substandard service dating back to 2002.  As a result, Telus has now
asked the CRTC to adjust its service quality reports for July-December
2003, to omit the impact of near-simultaneous events that were out of
its control -- forest fires, major flooding, and a serious cable cut
in Vancouver.

OTTAWA OPENS NEW SPECTRUM: Industry Canada has opened new spectrum in
the 5 GHz range, and improved existing frequency bands to meet
increasing demand for broadband wireless.

** A new government paper on Spectrum Utilization Policy for
Licence Exempt Wireless LANs in the 5 GHz Range is available now at
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf01158e.html.

CRTC REDUCES RFP VALUE: The CRTC has amended its RFP for
legal/economic assistance with the local forbearance proceeding to
indicate that it now expects to pay between $250,000 and $500,000 for
the work, half the original estimate. (See Telecom Update #478)

AT&T NAMES NEW EXEC FOR CANADA: AT&T Corporation has named John
V. Slamecka as Vice-President, AT&T Business Services for Canada, the
Caribbean and the Latin American Region, replacing Penny Shaffer. He
is based in Coral Gables, Florida.

SHIFT PROVIDES VoIP ON SUPERNET: Shift Networks, a Calgary- based
small-business VoIP supplier, and Strategic Information Systems, an IT
supplier to aboriginal communities, have agreed to jointly provide
hosted IP telephone service over Alberta SuperNet.

ROGERS LAUNCHES CORPORATE 'PUSH' EMAIL: Rogers Wireless's new MyMail
service delivers "push" email, calendar, and contacts to business
customers on a range of wireless devices, using the Visto Enterprise
Server.

ENTOURAGE QUEBEC TECHS ACCEPT CONTRACT: Entourage installation and
repair technicians in Quebec have voted to accept a new four-year
contract with their employer, now a subsidiary of Bell Canada. 1,400
Ontario employees remain on strike.

NORTEL TO BUY U.S. GOVERNMENT SUPPLIER: Nortel Networks has agreed to
buy PEC Solutions for US$448 million. Last year PEC, a Virginia-based
integrator that sells mainly to the U.S. government, had a profit of
$16 million on revenue of $203 million.

ALIANT SALES EDGE UP: Aliant reports first-quarter revenues of $524
million, 1.9% up from the same period last year.  Local and long
distance revenue fell to 50% of the total from 55%. Wireless sales
rose 15%. Aliant's net income of $43.6 million was down 4.5% from last
year.

ROGERS WIRELESS SALES SOAR: Rogers Wireless revenues reached $875
million in the first quarter, 48% higher than a year ago. Revenues
from the former Microcell made up three-fifths of the gain. Rogers
says that data services will likely account for 10% of wireless
revenues by year-end. Net income: $47 million.

** Revenue from Rogers' cable operations increased 7%. Rogers
   Communications had sales of $1.58 billion (up 25%) and a
   net loss of $46 million (down from $78 million).

HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE

Email ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE)

TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two
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   Friday afternoon each week at www.angustel.ca

2. The email edition is distributed free of charge.

   To subscribe, send an email message to:
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COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus
TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please
email ianangus@angustel.ca.

The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no
warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy.  Opinions expressed are based on
interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If
expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a
competent professional should be obtained.

------------------------------

From: Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld_on_request>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 13:37:39 -0400
Subject: MPSC Asks Michigan Legislature to Amend Telecom Act


http://www.michigan.gov/mpsc/0,1607,7-159-16400_17280-116720--,00.html

MPSC Asks Michigan Legislature to Amend the Michigan
Telecommunications Act to Add Voice over Internet Protocol Consumer
Protection Measures 

Contact: Judy Palnau (517) 241-3323 
April 28, 2005

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today issued an order
asking the Michigan legislature to amend the Michigan
Telecommunications Act to authorize it to address concerns raised
about Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service.  VOIP is a
developing technology that may be used to transmit voice conversations
over the Internet.  It is the subject of ongoing debates among state
and federal regulators, legislators and the telecommunications
industry.

"Michigan residents using Voice over Internet Protocol deserve
consumer protections," said MPSC Chairman J. Peter Lark.
"Because the Michigan Telecommunications Act is silent on Voice
over Internet Protocol service using the public switched telephone
network, customers using this new technology do not have consumer
protections that telecommunication customers have.  As has already
been demonstrated in Michigan and elsewhere, lack of 9-1-1 access
using VOIP service is a serious concern.  We are asking the Michigan
legislature to amend the MTA and put safeguards in place for VOIP
customers."

The MPSC on March 16, 2004 started an investigation of VOIP in
Michigan, asking for comments on VOIP issues in Michigan.  The
Commission received comments from 38 organizations and individuals.
Comments included identification of known VOIP providers serving
Michigan customers; the proper degree of regulation; telephone
numbering resources; emergency calling; universal service fund; access
charge structures; abbreviated and toll-free dialing; quality of
service; and various technical issues.

Today's MPSC order asks the Michigan legislature to authorize it to
assess the effect of VOIP service over the public switched telephone
network on Michigan citizens, to adopt non-intrusive registration and
certification mechanisms by which customer complaints regarding voice
communication services may be forwarded to the appropriate companies,
and to ensure that all citizens of the state have the benefit of
enhanced 9-1-1 services.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic
Growth.

Case No. U-14073

How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home:
http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html

If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/

------------------------------

From: Jack Decker <jack-yahoogroups@withheld-on-request>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 15:37:04 -0400
Subject: Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox Takes Action Against Vonage


I'm just passing along this press release ... don't shoot the
messenger, please ...

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-29-2005/0003494550&EDATE=

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox Takes Action Against Vonage to
Protect Internet Phone Customers http://www.michigan.gov/ag

    LANSING, Mich., April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney General Mike Cox
announced today that New Jersey-based Vonage Holdings Corporation, a
major provider of Internet-based telephone service, faces legal action
for misleading consumers about the company's emergency 9-1-1 service.
In a Notice of Intended Action (NIA) sent to Vonage Wednesday, Cox
told the company it has failed to make it clear that customers do not
have access to traditional 9-1-1 service.  

"Vonage needs to make sure its customers understand that normal 9-1-1
access may not be available to them," Cox said.  "Emergency calls made
through Vonage's service are often routed through call centers that
may not be answered outside of regular business hours."  

Although Vonage advertises its "911 dialing" as a benefit, the feature
has significant limitations compared to traditional phone service.
Customers who use Vonage's service are not directed to operators who
dispatch emergency vehicles.  If emergency personnel do get the call,
they may not be able to identify the caller's phone number or have
information displaying the caller's address.  

"I don't know about most people, but I don't have the ability to time
my emergencies," Cox said.  "Vonage has ten days to respond to the
NIA, or my office will file a lawsuit seeking injunctive relief and
civil penalties."  Consumers who want to file a complaint about Vonage
or VOIP may do so by writing to the Attorney General's Consumer
Protection Division at P.O.  Box 30213, Lansing, MI 48909, or by
calling toll-free 1-877-765-8388.  During 2003 and 2004, the Consumer
Protection Division collected more than $600 million on behalf of
Michigan.  In 2004, the Division stopped more than $400 million in
utility rate increases and responded to more than 102,000 consumer
complaints.

SOURCE Michigan Attorney General
Web Site: http://www.michigan.gov/ag 

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:58:37 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Verizon Signs Additional Programming Deals for FiOS TV


Viewers Will Find Channels Devoted to Their Interests

NEW YORK, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon today took another step
toward its goal of providing one of the country's most extensive TV
programming lineups when it announced separate
programming-distribution agreements with five networks.

Under the agreements, Verizon will carry the channels on Verizon FiOS
TV when it launches later this year. They are: Varsity TV, Gospel
Music Channel, Soundtrack Channel, MavTV and GolTV.

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=48755131

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 13:30:21 EDT
From: Telecom dailyLead from USTA <usta@dailylead.com>
Subject: Report: TV Phone Outlook Rosy


Telecom dailyLead from USTA
April 29, 2005
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=21213&l=2017006

		TODAY'S HEADLINES
	
NEWS OF THE DAY
* Report: TV phone outlook rosy
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* Verizon to end free Wi-Fi hotspots in NYC
* Mom-and-pop VoIP resellers on the rise
* CenturyTel reports earnings
USTA SPOTLIGHT 
* 3G Wireless with WiMAX and Wi-Fi -- Now in the Telecom Bookstore
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
* Commentary: Is there an audience for Internet TV?
* Meet the "Wired 40"
VOIP DOWNLOAD
* Equipment maker: VoIP a bandwidth hog
* Comcast, Mediacom selling VoIP for what it's worth
* FCC may demand VoIP phones provide 911 services
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* Minneapolis sues TWC over franchise fees
* Airlines consider how to adjust if cell phone ban is lifted
* Qwest promotes affordable phone service to tribal areas

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://www.dailylead.com/latestIssue.jsp?i=21213&l=2017006

------------------------------

Reply-To: CountFrederick <CountFredM@ananamous.net.lga.highwinds-media.com>
From: CountFrederick <CountFrederick@Anonamous.Net.lga.highwinds-media.com>
Subject: AOL  Import/Export
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 16:48:36 -0400
Organization: Optimum Online


Trying to help a friend.

My friend has a PC and has an AOL account.  He also receives his
E-mails on his wife's PC.  He has now purchased a new PC and has been
receiving E-mails on this new PC.  The result is that his E-mails are
spread over 3 computers.

How can I consolidate these E-mails on one computer?

Also, how can I move AOL E-mail messages to Outlook Express?

Thanks,

FRED


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Outlook Express uses POP-type to
'fetch' mail from the various accounts and consolidate onto the
one (Outlook Express) account. You go to the 'properties' menu,
select 'accounts' and set up each of the email accounts there; then
when you click on 'send/receive' Outlook Express goes around to each
of the three email accounts gets the mail and displays who it is
from, the subject line and the date for each piece of mail. You will
need to check with each mail system you use for the POP addresses in
each case. Usually, but not always, the POP server at the mail system
will be identified as 'pop.whoever.com'; for instance I go to
'pop.cablelone.net' to get my personal mail. Outlook Express also asks
you to define the 'default address' to be used for outgoing mail. In 
my case, that is 'smtp.cableone.net'. In the process of
sending/receiving email, in addition to going around to all three
places to get my mail, Outlook Express also dumps all outgoing mail
(that you have written) at the 'default' post office. 

Those mail systems which allow you to use POP to pick up all your mail
will usually explain the procedure to use (and the name of the mail
server [as I said, quite frequently it is 'pop.whoever.whoever']) some-
where in their documentation. Not all mail systems allow picking up
the mail 'remotely' through Outlook Express. This is especially true of
the 'web based' free mail services. They make their money by making
you at least look at the advertisements they put on your screen. It is
more likely you will be allowed to use POP (meaning, Outlook Express
or a similar 'mail collector' program if you are using a mail service 
that you pay for. F'r instance, I _pay for_ Cable One, which is why I
get to use POP. I also pay for TerraWorld (our local ISP) so I can use
his POP also, although his is 'mail.terraworld.net' for mail in both
directions, in and out. Typically though, when 'remote' pick up and 
drop off of email is allowed, it comes in to you from 'pop' and goes
out from you through 'smtp.whoever' or 'sendmail.whoever'. Whatver the
mail service you use tells you, that is how you fill in the blanks in
the Outlook Express software. You'll need to have the user name (_at
that_ site_) and the password (_at_that_site_) as well; it is not the
same as the user name/password of your computer. 

Certain other conditions apply as well when you are configuring the
Outlook Express, which are dependent on what the site where you are
retrieving your mail remotely say they are. Things to do with the port
to pick your mail up through, etc; often times they are just defaults,
but sometimes not; also sometimes other technical details, which once
set, never have to be changed. Outlook Express (and similar remote
mail pick up programs) can sometime be sort of picky, but Outlook
Express at least has a few other most common things built in that you
can choose from. For example, Compuserve, to name one, does not use
POP but something called 'I-MAP' where the incoming mail gets put into
'folders'. Outlook Express knows about that. Regards America On Line,
I am not sure if they even allow remote pick up of mail or not. 

And regards 'being picky', now and again I have had situations where
Outlook Express was _attempting_ to get my mail, but there was some
item of spam which was _so large_ (like a million bytes) that Outlook
Express kept timing out while trying to retrieve the huge, ugly spam. 
That happened once with Cable One; I knew there were a dozen or so 
items of mail there, but Outlook Express would get about half way
through retrieving the first item, and keep stalling. I called up
Cable One tech support, mad as hell, blaming them for the delay; the
tech looked in my mailbox, came back on the line, and in sort of a
crude way said to me, "You ever been constipated? Some giant 'thing'
which would not come out without _much_ effort?  That's what some
spammer left for you today. Just log on direct to your mail over here,
take it out and bash it, then the rest will all move as it should."
So I logged on to mail.cableone.net directly, smashed and destroyed
the ugly thing, then Outlook Express worked the way it was supposed
to. 

Now, Cable One no longer sends what _they perceive_ to be spam
through remote recievers like Outlook Express. They take all the 
viruses each day and the spam, and leave it on _their_ mail system
where you can examine it as desired but not have to personally
touch it or possibly get your own computer contaminated. Instead,
they send you a short piece of email saying come over and clear
out the trash and viruses, and they supply a link to click on.  I
have never yet seen them make a wrong choice on any of it.  PAT] 

------------------------------

From: garethmorrissey@yahoo.com (Gareth Morrissey)
Subject: Dialogue Communications Abuse of Reverse Rate SMS
Date: 29 Apr 2005 13:52:10 -0700
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Someone using Dialogue premium rate sms services www.dialogue.co.uk to
send out sms messages to mobiles that have never requested them (never
subscribed).

Possibly targeting Virgin mobile customers. Virgin mobile do know this
is happening, and can look on their system to if you have sent
messages to short text numbers and subscribed or not. If you hold your
ground with customer services they should credit your account.
Dialogue are a legitimate company, they are just perhaps lacking
controls to prevent abuse of reverse charged sms. You can also contact
Dialogue Customer Care: support@dialogue.co.uk +44 (0) 8700 790 400

------------------------------

From: tls@panix.com (Thor Lancelot Simon)
Subject: Re: VOIP: 911 - Vonage vs Time-Warner Roadrunner
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 18:53:07 UTC
Organization: Public Access Networks Corp.
Reply-To: tls@rek.tjls.com


In article <telecom24.186.2@telecom-digest.org>, TELECOM Digest Editor
responded to <rodneyg@carolina.rr.com>:

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Apparently, the only players in the
> game who can get 'true E-911' are the telcos themselves or any of
> their friends. Others have to pay for the service, and the cost was
> pretty steep until recently when under pressure SBC agreed to begin
> working with Vonage and other VOIP carriers. The reason this is so
> is because when 'true E-911' was being developed, telco had it built
> to _their_ specifications.  PAT]

That's utterly bogus, Mr. Moderator, and I wish you'd restrict your
editorial commentary to topics you actually knew something about.  It
seems pretty clear to me that trunk engineering in the backbone voice
network is not such a topic.

The incumbent local carriers built first basic 911, and then enhanced
911 (E911) service to meet _standards externally imposed on them by
the FCC and state regulators_.  The standards called for what some
might think of as an absurdly high level of service, but, in the
heavily regulated environment of the time, the local carriers
shrugged, said "sure, we'll do it, just let us get the money back as
revenue", and overengineered the service as requested.  The result was
a service that was extremely robust but that imposed significant costs
for every switch you wanted to connect to it.

Now along comes a new kind of carrier that wants to connect to the
infrastructure for that same service, but that wants the incumbent
carriers to bear the cost of allowing the new carrier to connect to
the infrastructure in a totally different way -- so that the new
carrier can avoid the cost of having to connect the old way, which
allows it (the new carrier) to maintain a price advantage over the old
carrier by not having to include the rather large cost of the
infrastructure to do E911 interconnection in its cost basis.

Surprise, surprise, the old carriers cry foul and say that the new
carrier isn't entitled to connect in a different way and force the old
carriers to pay to figure out how to let the new carrier connect a in
the new way.  And the new carrier, very politically savvy, goes to its
friends in government and to the media and tries to paint it as if the
whole debate isn't about the new carrier avoiding costs that everyone
else in the industry has to pay for 911 service -- instead, it's those
nasty old carriers who are "refusing" to let the new carrier connect
to 911 service.

To be plain, that's horsepuckey.  Vonage didn't *feel like paying what
everyone else had to pay for 911 interconnection* -- software for SS7
signaling in their gateway switches, special trunks into every PSAP in
every LATA they serve, and so forth -- and so they just didn't pay it
 -- while suckering people in the media, which seems to include,
notably, Jack Decker and you yourself, Mr. Moderator, into helping
them paint their *choice* to not provide 911 service, so they could
have lower costs and underprice other carriers, as something that
other carriers were forcing on them.

All you need to see that that's not true is the example of more
responsible, and less politically adept, VOIP carriers who have done
the right thing instead of cutting corners, and who therefore *do*
provide E911 service: Packet8, the cable companies' in-house VOIP
telcos, and so forth.  Surprise, surprise: their services cost more --
because being irresponsible about 911 service gives Vonage lower
costs.  But it is ridiculous to blame anyone but Vonage for the fact
that Vonage has refused to pay the costs of traditional 911
interconnection and therefore does not provide actual 911 service.

Thor Lancelot Simon	                            tls@rek.tjls.com

"The inconsistency is startling,  though admittedly, if consistency is
 to be abandoned or transcended, there is no problem." - Noam Chomsky

------------------------------


TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #189
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