Vonage, AT&T Spar Over Glitches in E-911 Deployment
Vonage is trying to “shift blame” to AT&T for its difficulties in deploying E-911 service, AT&T told the FCC in the latest salvo between the 2 over whether AT&T is delaying Vonage’s deployment. Vonage told the FCC July 28 that it faces “disproportionate difficulties deploying E911 in AT&T territory.” AT&T responded late Fri. with a lengthy ex parte filing saying Vonage’s “imprecise and ill-informed” complaints are “specious.”
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Vonage must work with Bells such as AT&T to enable their customers to reach Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) when dialing E-911. AT&T is a “911 system service provider” that, in its territory, operates selective routers and 911 data bases. Vonage’s complaints about AT&T delays triggered an FCC request for more information from AT&T.
Among Vonage’s complaints: (1) AT&T causes delay “by relying on laborious technical solutions” such as requiring the use of multiple emergency service numbers (ESNs). (2) AT&T won’t complete connections to selective routers in some places until all PSAPs connected to those routers -- even those without Vonage customers -- approve the connection. (3) It generally takes longer to deploy service in AT&T’s territory than in those of other Bells. (4) AT&T requires VoIP providers to gain “multiple confirmations” from PSAPs that they approve arrangements.
AT&T sent the FCC a 13-page letter with 18 pages of e- mails attached to it. The e-mails involved Vonage workers thanking AT&T personnel for helping Vonage connect to the PSAPs. “AT&T has gone well beyond what its commercial agreements with Vonage or its vendors require and what is necessary to promptly deploy E-911 service to Vonage’s customers,” AT&T said. AT&T said the complaint about requiring multiple ESNs was “particularly galling” because “state authorities and PSAPs -- not ILECs or other system service providers” -- determine whether VoIP providers must support multiple ESNs.
AT&T acknowledged that it asks a VoIP provider to “self- certify that it has notified and obtained routing permission from the PSAPs to which it seeks connections.” AT&T told the FCC: “Whatever Vonage’s view, ensuring that PSAPs have an opportunity to participate in the E-911 process and approve arrangement for which they will bear ultimate responsibility… is not merely reasonable, but necessary.” Such certification was recommended by the North American Numbering Council (NANC), AT&T said.
On the comparison between AT&T and other Bells: “The speed at which a VoIP provider can deploy E911 depends on myriad factors that can vary greatly from state to state [including] the VoIP provider’s own priorities [and] the extent to which PSAPs in the state have adopted wireless Phase II capabilities.” Vonage is among several VoIP providers using a form of wireless phase II technology to deploy E-911, AT&T said. That means the deployment will go faster in states, like Mass. in Verizon territory, where all PSAPs are wireless Phase II capable than in Okla. where only “1% of counties have PSAPs that are wireless Phase II capable,” AT&T said.
AT&T termed “highly misleading” a Vonage complaint about AT&T refusing connection to selective routers in Ark. until all PSAPs approved the action: “Public safety considerations -- and the commercial agreement the parties signed last year -- require Vonage to obtain a PSAP’s approval prior to sending live E-911 traffic to that PSAP’s service area.”
As a company offering VoIP service, AT&T knows “compliance is hard,” said AT&T Senior Vp Robert Quinn. “It’s a demanding task to meet PSAP requirements,” he said. But CLECs didn’t complain when the Bells required them to get permission from PSAPs to connect to selective routers, Quinn said.
“As the Commission well knows, the system service provider is only one of many entities that must work cooperatively to implement E-911 for VoIP services,” AT&T said in its letter. “E-911 implementation is necessarily a joint effort [among] VoIP providers, 911 system service providers, equipment manufacturers, third-party providers, state and local governments, and public safety authorities.”
Vonage Govt. Affairs Dir. Chris Murray said he finds it odd that “while AT&T is busy making excuses, everyone else it getting it done.” Murray said AT&T’s requirement that Vonage get permission from all PSAPs before turning up a selective router means “if one PSAP is not ready to go,” even one where there are no Vonage customers, the process can’t go forward. “AT&T would have you believe theirs is the only difficult territory and everyone else is easy.”