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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 formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week at www.angustel.ca 2. The email edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an email message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the email edition, send an email message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending email to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's email address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' email addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. 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 exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, Yahoo Groups, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work and that of the original author. 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