TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: SBC Rejects Vonage Bid to Work on Joint 911 System For VoIP

SBC Rejects Vonage Bid to Work on Joint 911 System For VoIP

Jack Decker (jack-yahoogroups@withheld)
Wed, 30 Mar 2005 19:56:12 -0500

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=11637&hed=Vonage%E2%80%99s+emergency+call+to+SBC&sector=Capital&subsector=EconomyAndPolicy

Vonage's Emergency Call to SBC
March 30, 2005

SBC has turned down overtures from Vonage to work together on
developing 911-style emergency services for the VoIP company's
customers.

Vonage approached SBC with an offer 'to test and deploy a joint VoIP
E-911 service' in a February 18 letter from CEO Jeffrey Citron to SBC
CEO Edward Whitacre. "We cannot resolve fundamental issues associated
with providing a native E-911 service to VoIP users without your
assistance," he said.

Mr. Citron received a response on March 25 from Christopher Rice,
SBC's Executive Vice President of Network Planning & Engineering. "SBC
would welcome the opportunity to have its 911 expert meet with Vonage
to explain SBC's current 911 offerings," said Mr. Rice. "We cannot
agree, however, to participate in a separate, proprietary trial with
Vonage."

Mr. Rice also pointed to Telcordia as a carrier with which SBC has
been working to deliver 911 calls, and cited SBC's own 911 solution
available to VoIP providers, called the Switched IP Service.

SBC's decision didn't sit well with Mr. Citron. "I write to express my
concern and disappointment at SBC's refusal to work directly with
Vonage," Mr. Citron wrote in a March 28 letter. "Vonage renews its
request to jointly test and deploy a VoIP solution as soon as
possible."

Full story at:
http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=11637&hed=Vonage%E2%80%99s+emergency+call+to+SBC&sector=Capital&subsector=EconomyAndPolicy

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/

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