The risk that emergency alerts sent to cellphones could cause networks to crash as subscribers respond en masse is a key topic as the FCC Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee sets standards for warnings, officials said Mon. The committee met for a 2nd time at FCC hq for an update on emerging issues as it writes a final report (CD Dec 13 p3).

The Md. Senate Finance Committee plans a March 20 hearing on a bill to deregulate retail VoIP service and other IP-enabled retail telecom services, except in the areas of 911, Lifeline and intercarrier compensation. SB-864 would bar the PSC from requiring VoIP providers to obtain state operating authority, regulating VoIP rates or requiring VoIP tariffs.

Funds to upgrade 911 systems are included in an amendment to the national security bill (S-4) offered late Wed. by Sens. Stevens (R-Alaska), Clinton (D-N.Y.), Inouye (D-Hawaii), Hutchinson (R-Tex.) and Smith (R-Ore.). The amendment, once a standalone bill, would let NTIA borrow up to $43.5 million against anticipated spectrum auction revenue. “Because the money is only advanced, the Congressional Budget Office has said that this amendment does not score,” Steven said in his floor speech. That means it wouldn’t affect the official deficit. According to the National Emergency Number Assn., 80% of the U.S. is E-911- capable, but what isn’t involves a much of rural America, including half the nation’s counties. Public safety officials back the amendment, Stevens said. The amendment isn’t controversial and is expected to be included in the final package, set for a possible vote Tues.

The Va. legislature passed a 911 bill (HB-1603) requiring owners/operators of PBXs and other multiline phone systems to provide 911 call centers with exact E-911 location information for each extension phone on their system. The bill sent to Gov. Tim Kaine (D) addresses a chronic problem safety agencies have with calls from multiline phone systems; calls made from extensions display the central switchboard’s location. Under the bill, multiline phone systems would have to provide street address, floor and room number for each extension phone. For multiline systems technically incapable of complying with this requirement, the measure would require posting instructions at each extension phone on how to call 911 and tell a dispatcher the exact location of the phone in use. Systems also would have to be programmed or adapted so calls made by dialing 911 go directly to a 911 answering center. The Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials lauded the measure, urging Kaine to sign it.

The Wed. severing of an AT&T fiber cable near Shorewood, Ill., knocked out or impaired phone service in wide swathes of the 217, 309 and 815 area codes in northern and central Ill. Problems were experienced as far south as Springfield and Peoria. The cut affected local, long distance and wireless service, plus 911 in some locales. Several thousand customers were affected; AT&T didn’t have a precise figure. AT&T said the problem was compounded when a network router near Decatur that should have shifted traffic from the damaged Shorewood cable failed. The cut occurred around 3 p.m.; most service was restored by 8 p.m. and all service by midnight.

FCC bureau chiefs at NARUC outlined their key telecom issues for 2007. Don Stockdale, FCC Wireline Bureau deputy chief, said his bureau will focus on 5 major issues for 2007 -- protecting customer proprietary network information (CPNI), reform of universal service fund distribution through reverse auctions or other means, reform of universal service fund contributions through number-based formulas or other means, VoIP number portability and intercarrier compensation reform. Wireless Bureau Chief Fred Campbell said his big issues for 2007 include an upcoming spectrum auction of 60 MHz in the 700 MHz band, addressing concerns of rural consumers and alarm companies in the transition from analog to digital cellular and determining whether to deem early termination fees rates, rendering them exempt from state regulation, or part of the “other terms and conditions” states can regulate. Catherine Seidel, chief of the Consumer & Intergovernmental Affairs Bureau, said her bureau’s top 2007 priorities are reform of relay service compensation to accommodate video, IP relay and other new technologies, ensuring E-911 access for IP and video relay, promoting Lifeline, addressing local consumer protection regulations over wireless services and managing consumer issues arising from the transition from analog TV to digital TV by Feb. 2009. In fiscal 2005, 40 million numbers were added to the national no-call telemarketing registry, which now includes 138 million phone numbers, she said. Kris Monteith, Enforcement Bureau chief, said a priority this year is stamping out “pretexting” and other frauds data brokers use to obtain customer call records, and ensuring telecom carriers adequately protect subscriber confidentiality. She said the FCC has subpoenaed online data brokers that fraudulently got phone records, and penalized brokers ignoring subpoenas. She said the FCC has asked a number of carriers how they live up to their duty to protect sensitive customer data. Ken Moran, acting chief of the Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, said a major issue this year will be improving emergency communications between responders and with the public. He noted progress in the 800 MHz rebanding proceeding but noted that satisfying carrier and public safety agency requests to alter the reconfiguration process for the channels earmarked for the National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee will extend the transition process past the original June 2008 target date. Other important issues for 2007, he said, will be developing a public emergency warning system for cellphones, working with states on keeping E-911 operational during disasters and becoming a central clearinghouse for communications information relevant to first responders, 911 centers and hospitals.

The Senate Commerce Committee marked up a bill (S-385) Tues. to improve interoperable communications for first responders. The bipartisan bill included a manager’s package of amendments adopted with no debate making minor changes to the bill, which spells out how the govt. is to manage the $1 billion grant program established under the DTV fund. S-385 calls for $100 million of the $1 billion to be set aside as a “strategic technology reserve” for an emergency or major disaster. The bill would award grants no later than Sept. 30, “subject to the receipt of qualified applications as determined by the Assistant Secretary.” To qualify for grants, public safety agencies must base their cases upon “threat and risk factors that reflect an all-hazards approach to communications preparedness,” the bill says. Some states have said grants should be based only on location. The bill would direct the FCC to evaluate and report to Congress on the technical feasibility of creating a backup emergency communications system that complements existing communications resources and takes into account next generation technologies. Under amendments adopted, the bill would include software and services among categories of eligible assistance, as well as interim or long-term IP-based interoperable solutions. Another amendment would ensure that final rules for implementations would be issued within 90 days of enactment. Separately, the committee marked up without debate the 911 Modernization bill (S-93), which would allow NTIA to borrow against anticipated receipts of the DTV fund up to $43.5 million to become 911 compliant. The bill calls for the Commerce Dept. to issue regulations “updating the criteria to provide priority for public safety answering points not capable” of receiving 911 calls.

The Ohio PUC revised its minimum phone service standards after rejecting arguments by some carriers that competition made telecom consumer regulations unnecessary. The PUC said that telecom carriers are operating in a more competitive environment, but competition alone isn’t enough to guarantee consumers receive adequate service on fair and reasonable terms. Among major revisions adopted in Case 05-1102-TP-ORD, the PUC eased its rule regarding bill credits for outages. Instead of requiring one day’s local service credit for each day out of service after the first day, the new rule requires one month’s local service credit if service is out for more than 72 hours, but nothing for outages of shorter duration. The PUC also cut in half, to 7 days from 14, the advance notice for any service disconnection. But it also imposed a new requirement that companies maintain 911 access on a line for 14 days after a disconnection for nonpayment. The PUC repealed state service quality regulations for payphones, instead requiring that payphone owners provide service according to current federal rules. The rules stipulate that carriers’ bills must be consistent with federal truth-in- billing requirements. The PUC also imposed a cap on what payment agents can charge for collecting phone bill payments. The PUC staff had recommended a $5 cap but the PUC set it at double the cost of a first-class postage stamp, making the fee 78. The PUC also reinstated a former requirement that local service providers identify and give priority restoration in disasters and emergencies to customers having medical or other life-threatening conditions. The rules also require carriers, within 10 days after signing customers up for new services, to confirm the services, rates and terms the customer consented to in a welcome letter to the customer. Previously, this could be taken care of verbally. The customer has 30 days from receipt of the letter to cancel or change the new service without penalty.

NENA said its 3 highest priorities for this Congress are federal funding for 911 and emergency communications, getting E-911 solutions for all technologies, and homeland security provisions broad enough to encompass emergency response and 911. NENA endorses a 911 bill introduced by Sens. Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Stevens (R-Alaska).

The Wyo. PSC called on the state’s phone carriers and Office of Homeland Security to develop a common, coordinated response to service outages such as one last Aug. that left most of the state without 911 service for hours. That time, a contractor installing phone lines at a Cheyenne school severed a Qwest network backbone cable carrying 911, wireless and long distance traffic. The cut affected 911 service in Casper, Gillette, Jackson and Cody. The PSC, reviewing the incident, urged a planned response, with all company contact information in place beforehand, to ensure “efficient, accurate, rapid engagement of local responders” when phone service goes down. The PSC called for more backups to critical network links, something Qwest said it has already done. Qwest installed redundant circuits at critical points in its 911 network to ensure calls will still find a way to get through even if a main cable is cut, it said.