AT&T Wireless told FCC in comments this week that to promote “technological and competitive neutrality,” it should require certain mobile satellite service (MSS) operators and telematics providers to meet Enhanced 911 rules. In Dec., FCC adopted further notice to examine whether to extend E-911 requirements to telematics, MSS licensees and multiline telephone services in facilities such as office buildings. Agency sought comment on whether to require MSS operators to create 911 call centers. AT&T Wireless contended that MSS providers that offered “real-time, 2-way, switched voice service” interconnected with public switched telephone network (PSTN) should have to meet FCC’s basic and enhanced 911 rules. Those rules also should be imposed on telematics providers who offered wireless services that allowed subscribers to place calls directly via PSTN. As for MSS operators, AT&T Wireless said their services had many of same features as terrestrial-based mobile phone services, and callers expected to be able to “access emergency services in the usual manner when they use such services.” Carrier also said FCC recently granted certain MSS operators ancillary terrestrial authority “to provide services that clearly will compete with traditional CMRS offerings in other areas of the country.” It told FCC: “Fairness and logic dictate that providers of such services not be permitted to evade the responsibilities placed on other providers of competing services.” AT&T Wireless acknowledged that FCC further notice pointed to technical and administrative challenges that MSS operators might face if they had to supply 911 service. Carrier said it didn’t believe that demonstration that compliance would be difficult or costly justified “a continuing exemption” for MSS operators. AT&T Wireless said such difficulties wouldn’t be markedly different from those already faced by commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers in E-911 arena. AT&T Wireless said subscribers to telematics providers could choose to dial 911 directly instead of going through private call center. “Providers who choose to offer such ‘resold CMRS service capabilities’ should be subject to the same basic and E-911 obligations as operators of competing services,” it said.

Public Safety Foundation of America (PSFA) awarded nearly $2.4 million in grants to expedite rollout of Enhanced 911. Money in this initial round of funding will be given to 29 recipients in 20 states from group, which was created last year by Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials International. Group said grants would help in ensuring that FCC’s E911 wireless location technology deadline of 2005 was met. “Our goal today in awarding these grants to state and local public safety organizations is to ensure that this technology is in place as quickly as possible and is available on a nationwide basis,” PSFA Board Pres. Thera Bradshaw said. Point of grants is to support public safety answering points in deployment of E911, group said.

Software developer RedSky Technologies told FCC in comments that lack of widespread Enhanced 911 deployment in office buildings put tenants at risk. Due to adverse weather in Washington this week, original comment deadline of Tues. for this and other proceedings was extended until Wed. because federal govt. was closed Tues. FCC adopted proposal in Dec., seeking feedback on whether to extend access to emergency services by users of telematics, mobile satellite services and multiline telephone services, which aren’t covered by existing E911 rules. RedSky cited problem of multiline phone systems in office buildings providing only building address to emergency dispatcher, rather than office and floor location of 911 caller. RedSky said that without uniform national policy, E911 readiness by large institutions would “remain spotty and indiscriminate… Our experience in the marketplace is that most organizations would rather take their chances and not be E911 ready than invest additional resources in upgrading and maintaining their phone systems to have E911.” Company estimated that less than 20% of business, schools and public facilities in U.S. had phone system equipped to provide detailed location information about 911 caller’s whereabouts.

Municipal govts. in central Okla. are coordinating their opposition to SBC proposal for usage-sensitive rates for wireless enhanced 911 (E-911) calls. Okla. Corp. Commission suspended tariff for investigation in Nov., and matter will come up again in March. Assn. of Central Okla. Govts. asked its 42 member municipalities to adopt resolutions opposing usage-sensitive E-911 tariff; 11 have done so, including Oklahoma City, which is state capital. Municipalities say change could boost their annual 911 costs by up to 25% at time when their budgets already are under pressure from declining revenues. Cities fear even worse future impact as proliferating cellphone use means increasing proportion of total 911 calls come from wireless phones. Proposed 911 tariff change would charge municipalities 23 cents for each 911 call placed from wireless phones after wireless E-911 was implemented, plus $3,900 startup fee. SBC said proposed tariff reflected way that it incurred costs for providing E- 911. State law allows municipalities to impose monthly phone bill fee of up to 50 cents per wireless number to support wireless E-911. But local officials say they're reluctant to impose that fee when they're not sure it can cover uncontrollable usage-sensitive charges for service. Local resolutions say that if SBC must recover additional costs caused by wireless E-911, it should do so through flat monthly fee rather than per-call charges. Landline E-911 costs are covered by fixed monthly charges, with telephone subscribers billed fixed monthly tax or govt. fee.

Ill. Commerce Commission (ICC) concluded SBC had met Telecom Act’s Sec. 271 Track A requirement to demonstrate existence of local exchange competition in state and 8 of 14 points on 271’s open local market checklist, with remaining 6 points not yet decided. ICC issued 400-page interim order (Case 01-0662) concluding Phase 1 of its Sec. 271 review for SBC interLATA long distance entry. ICC said SBC had produced indisputable evidence of actual business and residential competition from multiple rivals exclusively or predominantly using their own facilities. Referring to arguments whether effective local competition existed, ICC said Telecom Act didn’t require it to evaluate degree or effectiveness of competition but simply to confirm its presence in residential and business markets. On checklist, ICC said SBC complied with Point No.3 (access to poles), No. 7 (access to 911 and directory assistance), No. 8 (access to white pages listings), No. 9 (number administration), No. 11 (number portability), No. 12 (local dialing parity), No. 13 (reciprocal compensation), No. 14 (resale). ICC said compliance with remaining 6 points, all of which relate to SBC’s interconnection and network unbundling obligations and related operation support system (OSS) matters, in Phase 2 proceeding, also would address SBC’s wholesale performance assurance plan and actual performance data. Procedural schedule for that phase will be set soon.

Tex. 911 database provider Intrado Inc. told Tex. PUC its contract dispute with state 911 administrative agency posed no threat to integrity of 911 in state. Intrado was replying to petition by Tex. Commission on State Emergency Communications (TCSEC) asking PUC to intervene in dispute over wireless E-911 service payments to ensure state’s basic and enhanced 911 database services weren’t terminated abruptly (CD Feb 5 10). Intrado told PUC that TCSEC petition created false impression that Intrado was about to walk away from its contract and terminate all its landline and wireless 911 database services. It said it hadn’t taken or threatened any action that would compromise 911 service or endanger public. Intrado also said TCSEC petition incorrectly indicated dispute could affect all 911 systems in state. It said it provided 911 database services to Houston and several other major Tex. cities under separate contracts that weren’t involved in this dispute. Intrado said it asked Travis County Dist. Court to resolve dispute and supervise any transition to another database vendor. It asked PUC to defer to state court and merely monitor situation as it unfolded, and assured PUC that it wouldn’t take any action that endangered 911 service.

Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) opposed request to FCC by T-Mobile USA that it review Wireless Bureau’s dismissal of requested modification of its Enhanced 911 Phase 2 waiver. Last month, T-Mobile filed application for review that said Bureau’s order addressed only one of 3 requested changes in its E-911 implementation plan. Late last year, Bureau referred compliance by Cingular and T-Mobile with E-911 Phase 2 requirements to Enforcement Bureau for possible action. In its opposition, APCO said: “T-Mobile’s application for review strains all credulity and is intended only to further delay deployment of E-911’s critical life-saving services.” Request “diverts significant resources” to discussion of merits of T-Mobile’s waiver requests and changes in amendments of previous requests instead of focusing on how to fix problem, APCO said. “While T-Mobile asserts that it merely needs more time to deploy its E-OTD solution, and that its interim efforts to deploy this system should be duly noted by the Commission, the rest of the industry has apparently concluded that E-OTD will never meet the Commission’s E-911 location requirements,” APCO said. It said Bureau acted appropriately when it took steps to ensure T-Mobile sought “path to compliance” instead of further delays caused by proposed fix that “has never fully materialized.”

Telecom bills advancing around country address municipal broadband, deceptive spam, telemarketing, carphone safety, 911, telecom taxation, other topics.

Thomas Sugrue, who departed last week as longest-running chief of FCC Wireless Bureau, said that during his tenure he had seen debate shift on Enhanced 911 and had come to new appreciation of potential need for receiver performance standards. His successor, John Muleta, joined FCC Mon. Sugrue told Communications Daily he took “satisfaction” in tremendous growth in wireless services and technologies since he became chief in Dec. 1998. “It has changed the communications landscape in the U.S.,” he said, noting he didn’t take credit for rise: “That reminds me of a rooster taking credit for the sunrise.”

Tex. state agency that supervises 911 programs asked Tex. PUC to intervene in dispute it’s having with Intrado Communications, which provides basic and enhanced 911 database management services statewide. Tex. Commission on State Emergency Communications (TCSEC) has been embroiled in contract dispute with Intrado over payments for provision of wireless E-911, and Intrado last week informed TCSEC that it unilaterally would cease all its wireline and wireless 911 database services unless problems were resolved. TCSEC asked PUC to intervene to ensure that if new vendor for E-911 database management must be found, transition from Intrado to new vendor would be done in fashion that didn’t impair 911 emergency communication services. TCSEC petition (Case 27309) said if Intrado sought to terminate 911 contract, it would need at least 90 days to review bids and select new vendor. It asked PUC to work with all parties on transition plan and use its authority to ensure they all cooperated in that plan.